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An east Auckland theatre is upping the suspense with its next stage production, which centres on a blind woman forced into survival mode during a home invasion.
Carlos Lehmann directs Howick Little Theatre’s production of the stage thriller Wait Until Dark.
The story is written by critically acclaimed English playwright Frederick Knott and set in 1944 New York City.
Adapted for the stage by Jeffrey Hatcher, the theatre says it’s a “suspense-filled, high-stakes thriller that thrusts the audience into the middle of an exhilarating and dangerous game of cat and mouse”.
The story centres on the fictional character Susan Hendrix, played by Julia Kellett.
She’s a young blind woman living in Greenwich Village who finds her ordinary life upended through a carefully constructed deception by a team of conmen led by the sinister Harry Roat, played by Cameron Smith.
The cast is completed by Sergeant Carlino, an ex-police officer turned small-time grifter, played by Karl Fleet; Mike Talman, a charming but secretive old family friend, played by Bruno Batistela; Sam Hendrix, the dutiful husband, played by Grae Minors; and Gloria, a young teenager in an upstairs apartment, played by Nicole Johnson.
The theatre says the play delves into themes of vulnerability and personal courage, as tension between “predator and prey” steadily increase.
Susan is forced to recognise her blindness might be the key to her escape and offer a perfect opportunity to turn the tables on the men who have invaded her home.
Lehmann says he’s excited to present the season as his first main-house production at the theatre.
“The opening scene of the play is what grabbed my attention, and from there I was hooked.
“The suspense and drama that unfold convinced me this would be a brilliant production.
“While Wait Until Dark acts as a sort of time machine to the past, it’s not heavily dependent on its period setting.
“Both the plot and characters could easily fit into today’s world, with a few minor tweaks.”
He says the play features suspense, drama, humour, and betrayal throughout.
“But I’ll leave people with this – watch and listen closely.”
Wait Until DarkDirected by Carlos LehmannHowick Little Theatre, 1 Sir Lloyd Drive, PakurangaSeason: September 9-30, with shows at 8pm, and 2pm matinees on September 10 and 17.www.hlt.org.nz
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