J.B. Priestley's BENIGHTED Extended Due to Phenomenal Public Demand

After an opening weekend of record breaking ticket sales, Benighted has been extended at the Old Red Lion due to phenomenal public demand - now closing on Saturday 7th January 2017. Originally published as a novel in 1927, Benighted was the first real introduction to the world of a then unknown J.B. Priestley. The world premiere of the stage adaptation of Benighted ties in with the Priestly Renaissance that is sweeping our stages.

Leading this comic thriller are:

Harrie Hayes - The Shape of Things' (Arcola Theatre), 'zazU: A Fete Worse Than Death' (Soho Theatre), 'It's a Body, It's a Body, It's a Body' (Battersea Arts Centre), 'Wasted' (E4);

Tom Machell - New York City's Shakespeare in the Parking Lot playing Antipholus E in The Comedy of Errors, The Love and Devotion of Ridley Smith (Old Red Lion Theatre), three runs of Guinness World Record holding comedy show NewsRevue;

Ross Forder - THE STING (Wilton's Music Hall), Recycled Dreams (national UK tour), The Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show (Edinburgh Fringe);

Michael Sadler - West End work includes My Fair Lady (RNT/Drury Lane), three seasons at Regent's Park, Pacific Overtures (English National Opera), Figaro (Ambassadors), The Mousetrap (Ambassadors). He also played Freddie Eynsford-Hill in Cameron Mackintosh's first production of My Fair Lady (Adelphi);

Jessica Bay - Othello in Desdemona (BBC Shakespeare Schools Festival/Pavillion Theatre), S'warm (NYT), Odile in Maigret: Maigret Sets A Trap (ITV), Theresa in Birds of A Feather (ITV, Freemantle Media);

Matt Maltby - Much Ado About Nothing/Richard III (World Tour), Hermia for The Reversed Shakespeare Company, Romeo for Serious Mischief and Bhagat Singh in Heather Uprichard's Atrophy.

Set in the heart of wildest Wales on a treacherously stormy night where it seems the world itself is going to end, Philip and Margaret Waverton are left with no choice but to abandon their Austin Tourer and seek refuge in an old dark house. Soaked, hungry and exhausted from their ordeal, the Wavertons' relief at finally being indoors rapidly slips away as it becomes devilishly apparent that their gracious hosts for the evening, the peculiar Femm Family (and indeed the house itself), may be far more frightening than the Welsh mountainside they seek to escape.

In Benighted, the literary seeds of one of Britain's greatest ever playwrights are beautifully evident in the rich dialogue, unforgettable characters and gripping tension - now fully realised on stage for the first time.

Director Stephen Whitson comments, Ever since seeing Stephen Daldry's National Theatre production of An Inspector Calls as a teenager I have been enthralled by the work of J.B. Priestley. To develop one of his early novels for the stage with writer Duncan Gates has been equal parts fascinating and thrilling as we have explored this multi-layered text, aided and abetted by the seemingly never ending imagination of the creative team. As we head into rehearsals I'm excited to be working with such a multi-talented cast who bring a wealth of talent, experience and humour to the challenging roles.

Whitson's credits include Elegies (West End), Putting it Together and The Last Five Years (both The Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Little Women (Birmingham Old Rep), Barnum (Associate Director: UK Tour), From Here To Eternity (Associate Director: West End) and Private Lives (Assistant Director: Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh).

Benighted has been adapted for the stage by Duncan Gates. A graduate of the Royal Court Writers Programme, his previous credits include People's Day (Pleasance Theatre), Sorrows Of Young Werther, (Zoo Venues Edinburgh), Two Steps Forward (Bush Theatre), Passenger Incident (Theatre 503) and Earplugs (Arcola Theatre). His play Arkansas was long-listed for the Bruntwood Prize and the Verity Bargate Award.

The show is produced by Damien Tracey whose previous producing credits include Little Shop Of Horrors (UK tour), Footloose (UK Tour), Warde Street - nominated for Three Off West End Awards including best new play (Park Theatre), Asking Rembrandt (Old Red Lion Theatre) and Faster Higher (Dominion Studio, Dominion Theatre West End).

Tickets are available from Old Red Lion Theatre Box Office and www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk or 0844 412 4307.

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