THINGS TO COME - DON'T LOOK NOW

As the nights start to draw in, the Queen’s Hornchurch resident company presents the chilling thriller Don’t Look Now, playing from 23 October – 14 November.

The Daphne du Maurier short story - and the better-known film - tell the story of John and Laura Baxter who travel to Venice, hoping to save their troubled marriage after the loss of their young daughter, Christine. Amidst the romance of the city, they start to come to terms with their tragedy and it seems a new chapter is beginning.

But then, strange things start to happen… The couple meet a pair of elderly ‘psychic’ sisters who claim to be able to see Christine and urgently warn them to leave the city. And just who is the mysterious figure in red? Don’t miss this tragic, haunting drama – full of twists, turns and brimming with chills and thrills…

Don’t Look Now was originally published in 1971 as part of Not After Midnight – du Maurier’s collection of short stories with supernatural themes. The hard-hitting, controversial film adaptation is now hailed a modern classic. Starring Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland, it famously featured what was considered at the time to be an outrageously explicit love-making scene.

It presents huge challenges in the staging. But this production is directed by Simon Jessop, the Queen’s acclaimed Associate Director known for his audacious work and inventive style of theatre-making – to help tell the story, he’ll use a wonderful blend of live performance, film projections, inventive light design and a fantastically atmospheric score. Audiences and critics hugely admired his most recent Hornchurch productions – The Elephant Man in April and last spring’s The Great Gatsby, which was nominated for an Off West End Award.

Joining the cast will be two stars of The Elephant Man - Tom Cornish, playing John Baxter, and the very much respected Queen’s stalwart Stuart Organ (also known of course for his many years playing Mr Robson in TV’s Grange Hill). This production also features Gilian Cally and Tina Gray, stars of the Queen’s current play Steel Magnolias, as well as much-loved company regulars Callum Hughes and Sam Pay, who audiences will recognise from their numerous Hornchurch roles.

The Queen’s is delighted to welcome two enormously talented actresses – Charlotte Powell, playing Laura Baxter, who has worked with a multitude of theatre companies across the UK, and Karen Anderson, whose hugely impressive film credits include appearances on smash hits such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Maleficent.

Set and costume design is by Norman Coates, musical direction by Steven Markwick, lighting design by Mark Dymock and vocal coaching by Mary Viscomi.