Review: WAIT UNTIL DARK at Howick Little Theatre

Deftly directed by Carlos Lehmann, WAIT UNTIL DARK, positions you in the frightening and vulnerable world of the sight impaired. Well-positioned action, credible characterisation,  inspired set design, suspense-filled atmospheric lighting and sound coalesce to bring this mystery thriller effectively to life. Even in the dark – it is thoroughly absorbing!

As is often the case in this genre, the plot action unfolds somewhat slowly in Act One.  Susan Hendrix (Julia Kellett) who “can’t see” is happily married to her photographer husband, Sam (Grae Minors). The play is set in 1944, and Sam is a war veteran who fought in Italy. They met in the hospital where they were both recovering, he from war injuries and she from the accident that blinded her. Her other senses, such as smell and hearing, are well tuned – and she is determined and plucky, wanting to cope well in her darkened world. This is fortunate as we will find out as the plot progresses.

Pivotal to the story line is a doll – which was hidden in Sam’s luggage as he travelled on a train home to New York.  When the woman who hid the doll comes to their Greenwich Village apartment to retrieve it (when they are out for the evening), she ends up dead. It is crucial the audience pay close attention to the opening dialogue of the villainous Harry Roat (Cameron Smith) in which the back story is elaborated.

When the woman’s body is removed from the apartment, and carefully dealt with, and then discovered elsewhere in the neighborhood the next day, three strangers target Susan – trying to convince her that her husband (who has been lured away with the promise of a photo shoot) will be accused of murdering the woman - and the plot thickens (as they say). Where is the all-important doll?

In the second act, the pace quickens as Susan’s sensory driven skills of detection draw the audience in. Congratulations to Julia Kellett for her entirely convincing execution of this incredibly demanding role in which she is never off stage. Her every movement is authentically paced and her delivery of the lines is realistic, emotionally driven and skilfully modulated to create variations in pace and pitch for aural interest. We totally believe she is blind and dealing with a situation that becomes more and more perilous. Just as Susan begins to solve the “clues” and unpack the reality of her unpredictable and decidedly dangerous situation, those enigmatic elements start to make sense – for her and for us. Effective work from the entire cast and the director who craft a storyline with a final twenty thrilling minutes (almost on a completely dark stage) well worth waiting for.

Intense acting and vocally contrasted characters create skillful variations of diction and delivery throughout the play. Excellent work from Nicole Johnson as the hormonally hectic teenager from upstairs, Gloria. The audience can appreciate her various sides – hurt, helpful, hindering but ultimately reliable. “You are going to make someone a wonderful mistress one day”  says Susan. Effective contrasts are fashioned in the villains: the suitably swaggering and blustering cop Carlino (Karl Fleet), the handsome, supportive good friend and soldier Mike Talman (Bruno Batistela) and the vicious and ruthlessly sadistic Harry Roat (Cameron Smith) completely capable of cold-blooded murder after anyone outlives their usefulness.

To successfully craft a plot packed with tension and suspense,  the atmosphere must be textbook thriller. Congratulations to Howick Theatre’s creative design team. The 1944 New York basement apartment set (David Pitman) is an effectively crafted spacious environment suitably open in which a blind woman can cope and which also serves to emphasise her vulnerability and exposure. The stairs and doors allow the director to have imaginative and creative character placement with superb use of dramatic exits and entrances. The comings and goings are glimpsed through the well-lit windows and basement blinds. Of special mention are the atmospherically driven lighting design (Nicole Ashley) and sound (Dylan Day). Gloomy, sinister, scary, concentrated, intense, minimal – all these craft the tension and suspense. The street sounds effectively and purposefully support the set design. The well-timed phone calls are both functional and well-managed.

Book early – the world of live theatre is always engaging.  This is an artistically directed, expertly performed, atmospherically rich production that shouldn’t be missed if you enjoy the thriller genre!

The play runs September 9 - 30  at Howick Little Theatre. Book online at the link below or phone 361 1000.

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