A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Wait Until Dark

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  1w, 6m, 1girl(s)

Frederick Knott

A West End and Broadway hit, this masterfully constructed thriller moves from one moment of suspense to another as it builds toward an electrifying, breath-stopping final scene.

“A classic that still delivers a good scare... delivers a spellbinding final scene that fulfills the promise of the play’s, and the subsequent movie’s, reputation as a classic.” – The New York Times

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w, 6m, 1girl(s)
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
A sinister con man named Roat and two ex-convicts, Mike and Carlino, are about to meet their match. They have traced the location of a mysterious doll, which they are much interested in, to the Greenwich Village apartment of Sam Hendrix and his blind wife, Susy. Sam had apparently been persuaded by a strange woman to transport the doll across the Canadian border, not knowing that sewn inside were several grams of heroin. When the woman is murdered, the situation becomes more urgent. The con man and his ex-convicts, through a cleverly constructed deception, convince Susy that the police have implicated Sam in the woman's murder, and the doll, which she believes is the key to his innocence, is evidence. She refuses to reveal its location, and with the help of a young neighbor, figures out she is the victim of a bizarre charade. But when Roat kills his associates, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues between the two. Susy knows the only way to play fair is by her rules, so when darkness falls she turns off all the lights, leaving both of them to maneuver in the dark until the game ends.
History
Wait Until Dark opened on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatreon February 2, 1966. Directed by Arthur Penn, the production starred Lee Remick and Robert Duvall. The play premiered in London at the Strand Theatre on July 27, 1966, directed by Anthony Sharp and starring Honor Blackman and Peter Sallis. The 1967 film adaptation, directed by Terence Young, starred Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin.
Cast Attributes
MIKE
CROKER
ROAT
SUSY HENDERSON
SAM HENDERSON
GLORIA
FIRST POLICEMAN
SECOND POLICEMAN
  • Time Period 1960s
  • Setting A basement flat in Notting Hill Gate.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Stage Combat
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

“An edge-of-your-seat thriller.” – DC Metro Arts

“A first-rate shocker… the suspense drama we've long awaited eagerly.” – New York Post

Wait Until Dark is a tense thriller.” – New York World-Telegram & Sun

“Frederick Knott is a master craftsman.” – Women's Wear Daily

“A classic that still delivers a good scare... delivers a spellbinding final scene that fulfills the promise of the play’s, and the subsequent movie’s, reputation as a classic.” – The New York Times

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing available for professional groups only. Some restrictions apply.

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Author

Frederick Knott

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