Wait Until Dark. To 24 September.

Coventry/Tour.

WAIT UNTIL DARK
by Frederick Knott.

Belgrade Theatre To 2 July 2005.
Mon-Sat 7.45pm Mat Sat 2.30pm.
Runs 2hr 30min One interval.

TICKETS: 024 7655 3055.
www.belgrade.co.uk
Review: Jan Pick: 27 June.

Dark doings at the Belgrade.
After a slow start, this rather old-fashioned thriller gains pace, finally developing into an entertaining and exciting evening. Knott's play was, famously, filmed by Hitchcock in 1967 starring Audrey Hepburn. Whilst lacking such a star, this Bill Kenwright production at the Belgrade Theatre has excellent supporting cast, particularly in Derren Nesbitt as the creepily amiable, ultimately terrifying Roat and Minnie Crowe as the recalcitrant, spiky schoolgirl, Gloria, who eventually turns up trumps.

Susie Amy, in the Audrey Hepburn role as the blind woman unwittingly caught up in the toils of a criminal ring, is less successful, particularly at the start where she seems to find being natural' rather beyond her capabilities, reducing the early scenes to almost amateur dramatic status. However, she improves immeasurably as the play demands more histrionics and, by the end of the evening, her portrayal of fear and desperation, amid the plot's unexpected twists, convinces.

Gradually the audience is drawn into the story and the denouement is satisfyingly thrilling. Effective lighting and sound or lack of it - adds to the creation of suspense, which gradually escalates throughout the evening. The elaborate set is quite clever, with stairs and grills giving credence to the basement flat idea and with a nod to the film in the photographic stills on the wall.

There is a place in the theatrical repertoire for the straightforward, well-made play and this is a reasonable night out, that, with some tightening up and added pace, could have been a really good one.

Susy Henderson: Susie Amy.
Roat: Derren Nesbitt.
Mike: James Carlton.
Croker: Michael Melia.
Sam Henderson: Antony Edridge.
Gloria: Minnie Crowe.
Policeman 1: Derek Bell.
Policeman 2: Adrian Metcalfe.

Director: Joe Harmston.
Designer: Paul Farnsworth.
Lighting: Nick Richings.
Sound: Matt McKenzie.
Fight director: Daniel Llewelynn-Williams.
Associate designer: Simon Scullion.

2005-06-30 00:19:32