Wait Until Dark, Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of Frederick Knott’s thrilling tale of suspense and danger takes the stage at The Shaw’s Festival Theatre. Directed by Sanjay Talwar, this heart-stopping production begins previews June 25.

Recently blinded housewife Susan (Sochi Fried) finds her uneventful life upended when a gang led by the sinister Roat (Bruce Horak) invades her basement apartment. Hoping to quickly recover a doll that was inadvertently brought home by her husband (JJ Gerber), Roat’s crew faces an unexpected and formidable adversary in the unassuming homemaker. Their sheer overconfidence and underestimation of Susan allows her to make use of her newly honed instincts and heightened senses – giving her the edge to fight back and defend her home.

Wait Until Dark also features Kristopher Bowman, Martin Happer and Eponine Lee*.

Set design by Lorenzo Savoini, costume design by Ming Wong, lighting design by Louise Guinand and original music and sound design by John Gzowski combine to evoke feelings of confinement, confusion and uncertainty in every corner of a 1944 Greenwich Village basement apartment. Geoff Scovell provides fight direction. The production team includes stage manager Jane Vanstone Osborne and assistant stage manager Kelly Boudreau.

On stage at the Festival Theatre (10 Queens Parade) from June 25 to October 5, Wait Until Dark is recommended for audience members 14+. Running time is approximately 2 hours 30 minutes, including one intermission.

Cast:

Kristopher Bowman as Mike

Sochi Fried as Susan

JJ Gerber as Sam

Martin Happer as Carlino

Bruce Horak as Roat

Eponine Lee* as Gloria

* The Baillie Cohort is generously supported by the Baillie Family Fund for Education.

New for the 2025 season: all performances now begin one hour earlier. Matinee performances start at 1 p.m. and evening shows start at 7 p.m.

The Shaw Festival wishes to acknowledge and honour the land upon which its patrons and company members gather as the historic and traditional territory of First Nations peoples. Recognition and thanks are extended to the Neutral Nation, the Mississauga and the Haudenosaunee for their stewardship of these lands over millennia.

About the Shaw Festival:

Inspired by the spirit of Bernard Shaw, the Shaw Festival creates unforgettable theatrical encounters. The Shaw is a place where people who are curious about the world gather to share the unique experience of live theatre and to create a deeper human connection with the artists, the beauty and abundance of Niagara and with each other. For more information, visit shawfest.com.

The Shaw Festival’s 2025 season runs through to December 21, with a playbill featuring: 

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Anything Goes, Wait Until Dark, Tons of Money, Major Barbara, Murder-on-the-Lake, Gnit, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and A Christmas Carol. This season’s Spiegeltent lineup includes Dear Liar, La Vie En Rose, Ella and Louis, May I Have The Pleasure?, The Roll of Shaw – Through the Wardrobe, The Frogs, Coffee Concerts, Speakeasies, What’s In Your Songbook and Gospel Choir.

Direct bus service from Downtown Toronto and Burlington to Niagara-on-the-Lake is available on the Toronto-Niagara Shaw Express. Luxury buses are standard size wheelchair accessible, offer free Wi-Fi and have an on-board host. $39 return per person. Ticket to a 2025 performance is required. Please pre-arrange with the Box Office. Schedule is subject to change. Please confirm dates and times with the Shaw Festival Box Office.

For more information, to purchase performance tickets or a seat on the Toronto-Niagara Shaw Express, please contact the Shaw Festival Box Office at 1-800-511-SHAW or visit www.shawfest.com.