Wait until Dark

Wait Until Dark is a play by Frederick Knott, first performed on Broadway in 1966  and receiving a film adaptation in 1967 starring Audrey Hepburn. This suspenseful  thriller was a good choice for this talented group on a cold miserable winter’s 
evening.

The set was excellent with so much detail. There were doors to the bedroom stage  right, a kitchen stage left with a large working fridge and window, a dark room area at  the back, stairs with balustrades to the front door up stage right and a good  assortment of furniture to fill the Henderson’s apartment. Very impressive and with  some excellent lighting effects throughout to convey the room being in darkness  when required. Indeed, there was excellent attention to detail with costuming and  props to evoke the 1960s setting.

Sam Henderson (Phillip) had an easy manner about him as Suzy’s husband and acted well.

Suzy Henderson (Zeya) did an amazing job maintaining the very difficult task of appearing to be blind, being careful not to focus on anything or anyone throughout. She was an excellent actress who was very believable and kept the dialogue going at a good pace. Very well done.

Gloria (Bethany) gave a charming and mature performance as the young girl who befriends and helps Suzy, after a rocky start to their relationship.

Harry Roat (Jayson) played a very convincing psychopath, with his disturbed character always bubbling away under the surface whilst controlling his natural urge to be violent. He acted well although during this first night performance he struggled to find his words occasionally. I’m sure this wasn’t a problem in later performances though and was only a few minor stumbles.

Mike Trenton (Paul), a small time con artist, played the role well, showcasing the characters natural tendency for empathy. There were times where we struggled to hear his dialogue, but he did an excellent job with such a complex character.

Sergeant Crocker (Audrey) was a confident performer and delivered her lines well.

The play was well directed by Graham with plenty of movement around the stage and the all important suspense. When Roat leapt out of the bedroom in the final dramatic sequence, I’m sure many of the audience leapt out of their seats! The small but very appreciative audience gave enthusiastic applause at the end of this very atmospheric and tense thriller. Congratulations to all involved.

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