Actor Peter Ellis' latest role has been giving him nightmares.

Peter, known to millions as Chief Superintendent Brownlow in ITV's The Bill, plays the Nazi officer in Mrs Meszaros, the incredible true story of a woman who cheated death by being turned away from Auschwitz because she had the wrong papers.

The play, which premieres in Brighton on Thursday, is the work of Sussex playwright Gerard Macdonald. Its final performance will coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day on Sunday.

Peter, who lives in Brighton, said: "The terrible thing about playing evil people is that they're always the most attractive parts to play. I've played a lot of evil characters. I'm not sure what that says about me.

"But this character is different. The others have been one dimensional. But this character is frightening because on one level he appears quite normal and reasonable, then on another he appears totally mad and insane.

"But the great thing about Gerard's script is that you feel you know why he is evil. It's very effective. It has certainly affected me. I've been waking up in the middle of the night. It's very disturbing."

After 16 years in The Bill, Peter is looking forward to the challenges of a hard-hitting play. He said: "It's a different style of play for me. It's a mixture of epic and highly personal theatre."

Mrs Meszaros tells the story of a Jewish woman who, in 1944, bravely walked across Budapest to take food to her sister-in-law. In the hours between sunrise and sunset she was arrested, put on a train to Auschwitz and, by a strange twist of fate, sent home again.

More than 4,000 Jews were sent to their death that day. Mrs Meszaros was the only person to escape.

Writer Gerard Macdonald, who lives in Folkington, near Eastbourne, was stunned when he heard the story.

He said: "I found it fascinating and haunting. I couldn't get it out of my mind."

He immediately travelled to Austria to meet with her son Georg Tabori, a renowned theatre director.

He wanted to write a play about her life but needed more information.

Luckily Georg had written down his mother's story.

Gerard was intrigued yet horrified by what he read.

He said: "The Nazi officer told Mrs Meszaros he had been a priest before the war. He said he had murdered a Jewish draper and served his blood in place of communion wine. He then went on to describe his passion for animals and his hatred of cruelty to them."

Gerard travelled to Hungary as part of his research.

He said: "I spent some time in Budapest seeing where Mrs Meszaros had lived and I followed the course of her railway journey to the Polish border. I also spoke with a Romany gipsy family who told me their story.

"The Nazis also killed gipsies and homosexuals. These groups often feel they're left out of the account. I felt it was important to include their experiences in the play."

Theatre and Beyond presents Mrs Meszaros at the Komedia, Gardner Street, Brighton, from Thursday.

Peter Ellis stars alongside Brighton actress Victoria Gould, who recently appeared in Steve Coogan's hit film The Parol Officer, and Anna Korwin. Tickets cost between £5 and £8. Call 01273 647100 to book.