Set to be one of the most talked about performances of 2024, Gaslight, a modern adaptation of the 1940’s suspenseful thriller by Patrick Hamilton and starring Geraldine Hakewill, Toby Schmitz and Kate Fitzpatrick will open at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre in June as part of a national tour.
The highly-anticipated play, set in 1901 London, but adapted by Canadian writer / performers Patty Jamieson and Johnna Wright in 2022, is directed by Lee Lewis and produced by Rodney Rigbyfor Newtheatricals, who also produced Come From Away, and Queensland Theatre.
Hakewill’s Bella Manningham is a young wife who seemingly has it all – a nice home and a comfortable upper-middle class life. Her housekeepers, Elizabeth, played by Fitzpatrick, and Nancy attend to her and help run the household. Her husband Jack, played by Schmitz, appears attentive and loving. So why is Bella on edge?
Despite his doting appearance, Jack is hiding something – he keeps disappearing in the evenings …and after he leaves, Bella hears strange sounds in the house. Is Bella losing her grip on reality? Or is something more sinister afoot?
A much-used word, ‘gaslighting’ — psychologically manipulating people into questioning their own sanity — draws its origins from the play, in which the household’s gas lights flicker and dim on the evenings when Bella is alone, causing her to question her own sanity.
The 1944 film of Gaslight starred a young Angela Lansbury and Ingrid Bergman who won an Academy Award for her performance. Angel Street was also a massive hit on Broadway and remains one of the longest-running non-musicals in Broadway history with 1,295 total performances.
CD has 10 double passes to the Thursday 16 May, 7pm show at the Canberra Theatre Centre on offer.
ENTER TO WIN
To enter, email [email protected] with ‘Gaslight’ in the subject field. Tell us your name, full contact details (including street address) and the name of one of the stars. Entries close 9am Friday 10 May 2024 and winners drawn same day. One entry per person. Entrants must be aged 18+.
