4 STARS, Sept 6-9. Wait Until Dark may be an old chestnut but Tara Ward discovers it can still raise gasps and nervous laughter from an appreciative audience
Wait Until Dark will always be remembered for iconic Audrey Hepburn in the 1967 film version, but don’t let that deter you from seeing the latest Original Theatre Company production touring the UK, starring Jack Ellis, Graeme Brookes, Tim Treloar, Karina Jones, Oliver Mellor, Shannon Rewcroft and Tom McCarron.
It may be an old play but this production has a new twist because, for the first time in its history, the character of blind Susy Henderson is being played by a blind actor (Karina Jones). The fact it has taken so long for this to happen highlights the challenges faced by disabled actors in the acting industry. The improvement is encouraging, albeit too slow.
Knowing Ms. Jones is registered blind adds an authenticity that no sighted actress could quite match. Ironically, there are occasions when her ability to move around the stage seem almost too fluid for any non visually impaired person to understand but I love that we are also being educated about blindness with this realism. Personally spending time recently with a blind man, I realized how great my misconceptions were about his capabilities. The more we have genuinely disabled actors playing major roles, the more we can shatter those myths.
Frederick Knott’s 1960’s dialogue and setting may seem somewhat stilted for modern tastes, but what the entire cast does brilliantly is keep a high energy and fast pace throughout. This is a piece that shows its flaws if it drags and the acting ensemble ensured that didn’t happen. I would have liked a little less intensity from Karina Jones (I was worried on several occasions that she would hyperventilate with her rapid breathing) and I wished the music was more subtle, but Director Alastair Whatley ensured the speed with which the performers strode around the set and steamed up and down the steep stairs gave the piece a much needed urgency and focus.
It is also a very wordy play and the audience has to listen closely to follow the plot’s twists and turns. I could hear every word, thanks to good diction and projection.
Set Designer David Woodhead captured beautifully the essence of a 1960’s London flat and the unusual challenges of lighting this production, where a total blackout towards the end is essential to the plot, were handled efficiently by Lighting Designer Chris Withers.
It was a pleasure hearing the audience cheers at the end of the evening: lovely proof that we had all enjoyed ourselves.
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