There really couldn’t be a better time of the year to sit in the atmospheric New Theatre in Cardiff and take in the spine-chilling ghost story WHEN DARKNESS FALLS.
Inspired by true events, this powerful new production by James Milton and Paul Morrissey draws us into dark pasts, reveals disturbing truths and explores the power of stories. Perhaps most importantly, the ones we tell ourselves.
On a stormy night on the small island of Guernsey, a young paranormal expert joins a sceptical history teacher to record the first in a series of podcasts based on the island’s incredible folklore and paranormal history. As the expert regales his horrifying stories, the teacher learns that we all have our own truth. Our own story. Ghosts that haunt us. That bring the past, present, and future together in unexpected ways. Ways that could threaten to unsettle everything we think we know.
Some people believe in ghosts. Some don’t. Since their existence is not proved beyond all possible doubt, to many they remain folklore: the stuff of legend. Spooky Tales of beasts and spirits, spectres, and ghouls. But to many others, ghosts are quite real.
This two-handed play stars actor, film and documentary maker, former Chief Scout and 1980s Blue Peter man, PETER DUNCAN who has a theatre, TV and film career that spans five decades. Peter began his career on stage, joining Laurence Olivier’s National Theatre. He became a household name when he joined Blue Peter in 1980.
After TV presenting, he began to appear in musical theatre roles such as Barnum, Bill Snibson in Me And My Girl, Charlie Chaplin in The Little Tramp and Denry Machin in The Card, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award as Best Actor in a Musical. More recently, he appeared as Wilbur Turnblad in the UK Tour of Hairspray.
Starring alongside Peter is DANIEL RAINFORD who recently completed a UK tour of Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful, in which he played the lead role, Tommo – a role he also played in its original run at the Nottingham Playhouse. His other stage credits include Once Upon a Time in Nazi Occupied Tunisia at London’s Almeida Theatre. His screen credits include this year’s The Batman starring Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz.
And it’s Daniel we put a Zoom call in to before he took to the stage in Southend-on-Sea. We talked about the play, his getting to know Peter (thanks to a bit of help from Google), and his upcoming visit to Cardiff, which will be first time in Wales.
The show’s illusions are designed by John Bulleid, an Associate of the Inner Magic Circle with Silver Star, whose other theatre credits include The Ocean At The End Of The Lane (The National Theatre – associate to Jamie Harrison), Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (Palace Theatre, London – current Magic & Illusion assistant) and The Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre, London – associate to Chris Fisher).
WHEN DARKNESS FALLS gets to the New Theatre in Cardiff from Tuesday11th to Saturday 15th October. Performances are at 7:30pm each evening with a 2:30pm matinee on Thursday and Saturday. For more details, and tickets, go HERE.
