Darker Shores

by Michael Punter

Overview

Darker Shores is a Victorian ghost story which manages to be playfully intelligent, emotionally resonant and also quite scary. Its ghoulish atmosphere, biblical fanaticism and dark, knowing wit results in a piece which is both menacing and funny.

The plot is as follows: it is Christmas 1875 and Professor Gabriel Stokes takes lodgings at The Sea House, on a desolate stretch of the East Sussex coast. No sooner has he arrived than the troubled history of the house comes to the fore with unexplained and mysterious happenings. Having enlisted the help of Tom Beauregard, an American spiritualist, the two embark on a terrifying journey to discover the truth. Following the traditions of the finest ghost stories, Darker Shores is a gripping and shadowy tale of suspense.

Published to coincide with its world premiere at Hampstead Theatre, London 3 Dec 2009 -16 Jan 2010.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781408138120
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	12/03/2009
Series:	Modern Plays
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	80
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Michael Punter has written extensively for theatre and radio. His play The Wolves, produced by Paines Plough, was shortlisted for the George Devine and Margaret Ramsay awards. Recent works include Upstart Crows and for the BBC, Come to Me and The Glad House.
Michael Punter's work for the theatre includes The Wolves for Paines Plough (short-listed for the George Devine and Margaret Ramsay Awards), The Birds (after Aristophanes) for Birmingham Rep, Dummy and The Nightwatch (Margaret Ramsay Award) for Pop-Up and Upstart Crows for The Young Pleasance Company (Edinburgh Festival). He has recently adapted The Mark of the Horse Lord, from Rosemary Sutcliff 's novel, for the National Theatre Studio, along with the short play nationaltheatre, which was produced last year to celebrate the National Theatre's Student Day. His work for BBC Radio includes Come to Me and The Glad House. He is currently Visiting Lecturer in Drama and Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London. His play, Darker Shores, was published by Methuen Drama in 2009.