A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Ravenscroft

Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy  /  5w, 1m

This psychological drama is a thinking person's Gothic thriller, a dark comedy that is both funny and frightening. On a snowy night, Inspector Ruffing is called to a remote house to investigate the headlong plunge of Patrick Roarke down the main staircase. He becomes involved in the lives of five alluring and dangerous women. One of a series of Inspector Ruffing plays.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 1m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
This psychological drama is a thinking person's Gothic thriller, a dark comedy that is both funny and frightening. On a snowy night, Inspector Ruffing is called to a remote house to investigate the headlong plunge of Patrick Roarke down the main staircase. He becomes involved in the lives of five alluring and dangerous women: Marcy, the beautiful Viennese governess with a past; Mrs. Ravenscroft, the flirtatious lady of the manor; Gillian, her charming but possibly demented daughter; Mrs. French, the formidable and passionate cook, and Dolly, a terrified maid. They lead him through a bewildering labyrinth of contradictory versions of Patrick's demise and that of the late Mr. Ravenscroft. There are ghosts on the staircase, skeletons in the closet, and much more than the Inspector bargained for. His investigation leads into own tortured soul and the nature of truth itself. You will not guess the ending, but you will be teased, seduced, bewildered, amused, frightened and led to a dark encounter with truth or something even stranger. One of a series of Inspector Ruffing plays that also includes Phantoms, Widdershins, Mephisto, The Rooky Wood, Creatures Lurking In The Churchyard and Demonology.
Cast Attributes
RUFFING - an Inspector, 40
MARCY - a governess, 25
MRS. RAVENSCROFT - 35
GILLIAN - her daughter, 17
DOLLY - the maid 20
MRS. FRENCH - the housekeeper (38)
  • Time Period 1900-1910
  • Setting A remote manor house in a rural English county in December of the year 1905.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Not Applicable
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Add-Ons

Take a look below at how you can enhance your show!

Authors

Don Nigro

Don Nigro is among the most frequently published and widely produced playwrights in the world and has continued to build a deeply interrelated and diverse body of dramatic literature, employing a wide variety of dramatic conventions and styles of presentation. He has written ...

View full profile

Now Playing