Darkness in the Night

A one act farce by Rob Hockley

Darkness in the Night is a one act farce in nine scenes for four actors. Written for two females and two males, but adapts well for other combinations. You’ll need to make a few changes, but go for it! You only need a minimal set – a door is good. Darkness in the Night is a great vehicle for a talented company in one act competitions. We’ve seen it happen.

A surreal comedy
Fast paced and witty with challenging wordplay (!)
A great competition piece
Super easy set (crucial for one act competitions)
Costumes are contemporary
As with all Rob’s plays food is required in the props department – nothing elaborate, just a cheese sandwich.
Physical and fast
Laugh out loud daftness
Cast of four teenagers – optimum age 15-17
Also works as a film (I’ve tried it) and would make a fascinating video project

THE PLOT

Ok, stay with me here … Kate wants to protect her friend Lily from the unwanted attention of Dave. So, she tells Dave that Kate has died in an explosion. As you would. Lily is a reformed kleptomaniac and she keeps her loot in an old, empty house. Lily wants to get rid of it all and takes Kate to the house at night (in the darkness) to help her. All fine so far. But that very night, Dave drags his friend Bob to the same house. Dave believes that this is Lily’s ancestral home and he may be able to contact her spirit here. In fact, he wants to enter the underworld and bring her back (think ‘Orpheus’). As you can no doubt imagine, they all meet up …

Have a quick read! The sample covers parts of two scenes where Bob and Dave enter the house, a short while after Lily and Kate.

While the premise behind Darkness In The Night was fairly wacky, the real theme of the play was friendship, aspects of which were intelligently explored in the script... Amongst the witty and fast-paced dialogue across the sexes, there are wonderful moments of tenderness between the manic necromancer Dave and his stolid but ever-loyal sidekick Bob, and also between feisty Lily and her thoroughly down-to-earth companion Kate.... Although sounding completely authentic for teenagers, Rob Hockley's script was full of finely crafted witticism, and carefully avoided the kind of slang that dates a play too precisely

Reviewer

Conquest Theatre

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

OFFER! We have reduced our prices following COVID
We do not offer a ‘reading copy’ but our scripts are priced to be affordable!

Script only: £5
You can photocopy it as much as you like for free.

Performing Rights:
One Performance: £20
Two Performances £35
Three or more performances £50

There are no other charges

THE SET

Very little as the entire play is set in an empty old and rather dark house. There are two spaces that are important – a darkened room and a darkened room with a door. A working door is crucial! You might want a chair lying around (I did), but it isn’t necessary and can confuse the playing areas. Creepy lighting is beneficial.

It was really a wonderful show and received a great reception, we thoroughly enjoyed it!

TLU

Texas