WHEN DARKNESS FALLS Comes to the Union Theatre

A new spine-chilling ghost story, WHEN DARKNESS FALLS, will play a limited season, from 23 November to 12 December 2020, at The Union Theatre in London. Written by James Milton and Paul Morrissey and directed by Paul Morrissey, Will Barton will play John Blondel and Alex Phelps The Speaker. The audience will be socially distanced.

Set on the island of Guernsey, John Blondel, a history teacher, runs the local Historical Society. Tonight, as part of the Society's weekly vlog, a young paranormal expert has been invited to give a talk on the island's paranormal history. As John films, the Speaker's stories - many of which are based on true events - unfold and delve into dark pasts, revealing disturbing truths and unforgettable terrors.

Director and co-writer, Paul Morrissey, says, "In many ways, maybe we're all haunted. By the past. By regret. By shame. By things that have embedded themselves deep within us. A kind of trauma, that we relive. As we 'see' these events unfold, again and again, it's quite clear that ghosts are very real. When Darkness Falls is a spine-chilling new play about the power of stories. Perhaps most importantly, the ones we tell ourselves."

The producers added, "We are thrilled to welcome live audiences back to the theatre with this brand new 'edge-of-your' seat thriller. It has been a tough time for everyone, and so we couldn't be more excited to be one of the first shows to get up and running in London. Our seating capacity has been reduced and arranged to comply with government social distancing regulations, but this won't stop us from giving audiences the most incredible night out.

"We are also delighted to be able to offer our own 'Seat Out to Help Out' subsidy to get people back into the theatre."

Will Barton's most recent theatre includes the title role in The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson (Park Theatre & National Tour), The Libertine (Theatre Royal Haymarket) and Toast (Park Theatre and New York). He played Boris Johnson before, in the 2017 BBC 2 drama Theresa V Boris. Other television includes A Confession, Vanity Fair and two series of How Do You Want Me?.

Alex Phelps's theatre work includes Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night and Reynaldo/Priest and understudy Hamlet in Hamlet (both Shakespeare's Rose Theatre), Raleigh in Journey's End for Mesh Theatre Company, and Dennis Dutton in The Vertical Hour, Bob Acres in The Rivals and Orestes in Elektra (all at Theatre By The Lake). He was due to appear in The Importance of Being Earnest for Say It Again, Sorry? at The Pleasance for this year's Edinburgh Fringe.

In 2004, Paul Morrissey and producing partner James Milton were awarded The Stage One Bursary for New Producers. Together, they produced a number of UK and International theatre productions including Cats, Chess the Musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The West End Men, which toured China, Europe and the UK before playing a six-week season at the Vaudeville Theatre, London. As a solo producer, Paul's shows have included Saturday Night Fever, South Pacific, Les Misérables in Concert, The Phantom of the Opera in Concert and the European premiere of the Broadway musical Brooklyn. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS is James Milton's first full-length play. Paul Morrissey's other writing includes the play Bingo! and the new musical Toys.

The show's illusions will be designed by John Bulleid, an Associate of the Inner Magic Circle with Silver Star, whose other theatre credits include Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (Palace Theatre, London - current Magic & Illusion assistant), The Ocean At The End Of The Lane (The National Theatre - Associate to Jamie Harrison) and The Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre, London - Associate to Chris Fisher).

Lighting design is by Ben Bull and sound design by Tom Marshall.

WHEN DARKNESS FALLS is produced at the Union Theatre by Paul Morrissey Ltd, Christopher Wheeler and Molly Morris.

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