The Bill's Mark Wingett will take the lead role in the latest play by South Shields playwright Ed Waugh and writing partner Trevor Wood.

Wingett, Detective Chief Inspector Jim Carver in the ITV1 police drama for 21 years, is playing Martin Carson in God Only Knows.

The play will be read through for the first time at the Customs House, South Shields, on Sunday, July 12.

It revolves around a debt-ridden teacher who bluffs his way into a job at a school by pretending to be a believer in creationism.

However, his deceit leads to all manner of complications as different worlds collide.

Wingett is returning to the region after falling in love with it during a previous visit in May while preparing for the role of Leon in Waugh and Wood's last play, Maggie's End.

He said: "Carson sees it as his mission to bring Christian fundamentalism to state schools in the form of the literal truth of the Bible and creationism."

"I think the premise, about an atheist biology teacher lying his way into a job teaching creationism, is brilliant, and the script already has lots of twists and turns.

"It's a work in progress, and it will be exciting to hear ideas from members of the audience as to which way they think it should develop."

Joining him will be Russell Floyd, previously seen on TV as Michael Rose in EastEnders and DC Ken Drummond in The Bill alongside Wingett.

Floyd said: "During Maggie's End, Mark couldn't stop praising the area, and now I want to sample the delights of the north east myself.

"We're here to do the play and go to the Durham Miners' Gala, and Ed's wife Jane has told me there is a knitted boat sailing in the Tyne, so I think we chose the right weekend to come up north."

Waugh added: "Having kept in touch with the Maggie's End cast, I got an e-mail saying Russell and Mark wanted to come up for the weekend, so I sent them the script to see what they thought.

"They read the script, loved it and wanted to perform in it. I guess Mark won the battle to do it!"

* The read-through of God Only Knows starts at 7.30pm in the community room at the Customs House. Tickets are £3. For details, call 454 1234.