Review: Wait Until Dark

Hey readers!
It's time for my review of Wait Until Dark.
With the beginning of the school year and the end of the Summer holidays looming, I decided to have one last theatre trip to see Wait Until Dark on its opening night at Richmond Theatre. I had not read any reviews of the show, nor had I heard any opinions, so I was very unsure as to what I should expect.

What makes this production of Wait Until Dark special and unique, is its casting of blind actress Karina Jones, in the role of Susy, a character who is also blind. Throughout its many theatrical productions, a blind actress has surprisingly never played the character of Susy. The casting directors decided to break this tradition and opted for a blind actress to play the lead role. I applaud the casting directors for this decision; it may have been risky but it has certainly paid off. Karina Jones stated in an interview, which can be found in the programme, that "producers and directors should give disabled roles to disabled actors". Karina has my full support with this statement and I agree with every part of what she has said. Unlike any actress who is not blind, Karina is able to fully connect with the character and I get the sense that she is truly able to relate with 'Susy'. Karine fully embodies the role and I was able to understand every thought and feeling of the character.

The cast of Wait Until Dark also includes Jack Ellis as Mike, Graeme Brookes as Croker, Tim Treloar as Roat, Oliver Mellor as Sam, Shannon Rewcroft as Gloria and Tom Mccarran as a Policeman. They all had absolutely wonderful characterisations and I would say that all of those performances are very noteworthy.

Frederick Knott's writing is fantastic. It's extremely captivating and he does a highly convincing job of building up tension throughout the play. I had originally believed that there would be no serious threat to the main character (Susy) and that she would be victorious. However, as the play went on, these thoughts disappeared. I doubted every thought I once had. Wait Until Dark is full of surprises, twists and turns, I was on the edge of my seat throughout. A particular highlight of the brilliant writing was the final scene, which left me scared to go to sleep that night. It is terrifying and the audience are left with no clue as to which characters will be left alive.

The set design of a basement flat in Notting Hill was great, due to the fact that it was thoroughly detailed. It worked perfectly and aided the show well. The lighting design was superb, with the stand-out "lighting moment" being the final scene. The lighting design plays an extremely major role in the final scene, and helps a lot with building tension and suspense.

Wait Until Dark is visiting 11 other venues until December, so if Wait Until Dark is playing in a venue which is near where you are located, it is well worth seeing for a great night out!

The featured star of Wait Until Dark is, drum roll please... KARINA JONES!

It's astonishing to think that a blind actress has not been cast in this role before, but I am so glad that this has now been changed. I could definitely tell that Karina has a personal connection with the character of Susy, and this is what makes her performance phenomenal. Karina can most likely understand all of the problems that Susy faces on a daily basis, and therefore it was fantastic to see a performance that was so true to life.

Now for my final verdict on Wait Until Dark. I give Wait Until Dark...

During act one, I was verging on giving the show three stars. However in act two the show really picks up and on the whole this production deserves 4 stars!

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer