WAIT UNTIL DARK Brings Suspense to The Shaw Festival Theatre

The Shaw Festival's 2025 season intensifies with Wait Until Dark, now in previews at the Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This suspense-filled production of Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of Frederick Knott’s classic thriller is directed by Sanjay Talwar and runs through October 5.

Set in a 1944 Greenwich Village basement apartment, Wait Until Dark follows recently blinded housewife Susan (played by Sochi Fried) as her quiet world is violently disrupted by a trio of criminals searching for a doll linked to a sinister plot. Led by the menacing Roat (Bruce Horak), the criminals underestimate their seemingly vulnerable target—until Susan turns the tables, using her sharpened instincts and resilience in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

The cast also features Kristopher Bowman as Mike, JJ Gerber as Sam, Martin Happer as Carlino, and Eponine Lee as Gloria.

The design team conjures a sense of claustrophobic tension and uncertainty, with set design by Lorenzo Savoini, costume design by Ming Wong, lighting design by Louise Guinand, and original music and sound design by John Gzowski. Geoff Scovell provides fight direction.

The Production Team includes Jane Vanstone Osborne (stage manager), Kelly Boudreau (assistant stage manager), and members of The Shaw’s 2025 creative cohort. Fight scenes, lighting cues, and immersive soundscapes further amplify the show’s eerie, edge-of-your-seat atmosphere.

Performances take place at the Festival Theatre (10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake). All 2025 performances begin one hour earlier than previous seasons: matinees at 1:00 p.m. and evening shows at 7:00 p.m. The production is recommended for audiences 14 and older and runs approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.