Murder in the Dark (play)

Murder in the Dark is a British stage play written by Torben Betts and directed by Philip Franks. It premiered at Churchill Theatre, Bromley, and later embarked on a tour across the UK and Ireland. The play stars Tom Chambers, Susie Blake, Laura White, Rebecca Charles, Jonny Green and Owen Oakeshott, whose characters form an extended family. Set in rural England on New Year's Eve, the family are in a car crash which leads them to isolated holiday cottage where they experience ghosts.

Murder in the Dark
Promotional poster
Written by	Torben Betts
Directed by	Philip Franks
Date premiered	7 September 2023 (2023-09-07)
Place premiered	Churchill Theatre
Genre	Thriller
Setting	England
Official site

Background and premise

Murder in the Dark was announced in April 2023 as the latest writing project of Torben Betts.^[1] It is the first collaboration between Original Theatre and Trafalgar Entertainment but marked Betts' fourth project with the former. He was excited to work with Original again due to their commitment to touring the entirety of the UK despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on theatre.^[2] Tom Chambers was the first casting to be announced, with him playing centric character Danny, a famous-but-troubled singer. On his casting, Chambers said: "I'm really thrilled and excited to be a part of this brand new piece of theatre, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats."^[3]

The rest of the core cast were announced in July 2023, when tickets went up for sale. It was confirmed that Susie Blake, Laura White, Rebecca Charles, Jonny Green and Owen Oakeshott would be playing Danny's extended family members. Alongside the casting announcements, Philip Franks was confirmed to be directing the play. He commented: "Horror films have been my guilty pleasure since I was a morbid child. Now is the time to find out whether many years' worth of jump scares and terrible nightmares can be put to good use."^[4]

Murder in the Dark is set on New Year's Eve when a car crash leaves troubled singer Danny Sierra and his extended family stranded at an isolated holiday cottage in rural England. As soon as they arrive, strange and ghostly events begin to occur and the lights go out.^[5] It premiered at Churchill Theatre in Bromley on 7 September 2023.^[6] It then began touring at various venues across the UK and Ireland.^[7][8]

Cast

• Tom Chambers as Danny Sierra
• Susie Blake as Mrs Bateman
• Laura White as Sarah
• Rebecca Charles as Rebecca
• Jonny Green as Jake
• Owen Oakeshott as William

References

1. "WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT..." York Theatre Royal. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
2. Millward, Tom (11 April 2023). "Tom Chambers to lead Murder in the Dark world premiere". WhatsOnStage. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
3. Elkilany, Yasmin (12 May 2023). "New Torben Betts play Murder In The Dark to star Tom Chambers in 2023 UK Tour". Official London Theatre. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
4. Bosanquet, Theo (20 July 2023). "Full casting announced for Murder in the Dark tour". WhatsOnStage. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
5. "Murder in the Dark (On Stage)". Original Theatre. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
6. "New thriller Murder in the Dark to star Tom Chambers in UK & Ireland tour". West End Theatre. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
7. Wild, Stephi (11 April 2023). "MURDER IN THE DARK Starring Tom Chambers Will Embark on UK and Ireland Tour". BroadwayWorld. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
8. "Murder in the Dark". ATG Tickets. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.