It has been announced that Jack Ellis, Karina Jones and Oliver Mellor will star in the national tour of Frederick Knott’s thriller, opening at the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne on 24 August 2017.
Presented by The Original Theatre Company, Wait Until Dark follows the story of Susy, a blind woman who, left alone in her apartment, becomes the victim of an elaborate scam hatched by a group of conmen. Susy is left to fend for herself, and eventually finds a way to turn the tables on the conmen and give them a taste of life in the dark.
The play was written by Frederick Knott, best known for Dial M for Murder. Wait Until Dark was transformed into a film starring Audrey Hepburn as Susy in 1967, for which she was nominated for both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress. The film is often ranked as one of the top 100 scariest films of all time.
Jack Ellis is best known for starring as Jim Fenner in ITV drama Bad Girls and played regular Harry Mason in Coronation Street from 2007 to 2008. His extensive TV roles include Vera (ITV 1), New Tricks (BBC 1) and regular Robert Ashford in Where the Heart Is (ITV 1). Jack’s theatre credits include Warden Stammas in the UK tour of Shawshank Redemption, Hastings in Richard III at The Old Vic and Horatio in Hamlet, Orsino in Twelfth Night & P.R Deltoid in A Clockwork Orange, all for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Meanwhile, Karina Jones has previous appeared in productions of The Vagina Monologues (Graeae) and Thomasina in Crystal Clear (Lowry Theatre), for which she was nominated for a Manchester Theatre Award.
Oliver Mellor is best known for playing the role of Dr Matt Carter in Coronation Street from 2010 to 2013. Oliver also played Walter MacMurray in Father Brown (BBC 1) and Julian Woodley in Midsomer Murders (ITV 1). He has toured the UK playing Tony Wendice in Frederick Knott’s Dial M For Murder, James Herriot in All Creatures Great & Small and Edward Raynor in Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee.
The touring production will be designed by David Woodhead, with lighting by Chris Withers, sound and music by Giles Thomas, fight coordination by Rc-Annie and casting by Ellie Collyer Bristow.
Wait Until Dark will tour the UK from the 24th August until the 2nd December. For more information and to book tickets visit: http://www.originaltheatre.com/portfolio-item/wait-until-dark/