THEATRE | Previews

THRILLER DEATHTRAP Dundee Rep, Tue 20 Feb–Sat 10 Mar

As if Johnny McKnight hasn’t been working hard enough already his pantomimes at the Tron and Macrobert have been praised for their ability to maintain panto’s innocent tradition while pushing the pop-cultural envelope his direction of Ira Levin’s Deathtrap for Dundee Rep reveals more of his genre-savvy sensibility.

‘The piece plays with the idea of what sort of mind would write a thriller and, indeed, are they a thrill seeker just like the devious minds of the characters that live within the play,’ he says. ‘I’m drawing reference on all of that genre the work of Hitchcock, film noir and, indeed, those thrillers that are referenced throughout the piece.

The script itself is aware of the traditions that inform

it: ‘There’s a meta angle running through the play,’ he says. ‘Despite it being written in the late 70s it still feels questioning of its own theatricality. ‘In some ways, it’s a bit of a departure. Normally, I work

with my own new writing (and comedy),’ McKnight continues. ‘This piece is different. It’s American in flavour, heightened and operatic at times, there’s a sense of melodrama that runs through it. That’s quite a departure from my normal Scottish- based work.’ Following the adventures of a failing writer and how far he

will go to recover the limelight McKnight recognises how Deathtrap’s combination of excitement, humour and genre- bending offers the perfect night out. ‘I want to make sure we capture the laughs and thrills and jeopardy that I felt for the characters when I first read it,’ he concludes. ‘Theatre’s at its very best when it’s unapologetically entertaining, when it absolutely grabs its audience and doesn’t let it go.’ (Gareth K Vile)

A CITIZENS THEATRE AND HOME CO-PRODUCTION

Written by STEPHEN ADLY GUIRGIS A Tron Theatre Company & Sherman Theatre co-production

Preview: Thu 1 March 2018 Fri 2 Sat 17 March 2018 0141 552 4267 | tron.co.uk

Original Broadway Production Produced by Scott Rudin, Public Theater Productions (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Joey Parnes, Executive Producer), LAByrinth Theater Company, Fabula Media Partners LLC, Jean Doumanian, Ruth Hendel, Carl Moellenberg, Jon B. Platt and Tulchin Bartner/Jamie de Roy. The Tron Theatre Ltd. is a Scottish Registered Charity No: SC012081

86 THE LIST 1 Feb–31 Mar 2018

BY EUGENE O’NEILL

13 APR - 5 MAY The 20th-century American classic directed by Dominic Hill

Supported by Friends of the Citizens

BOOK NOW 0141 429 0022 citz.co.uk

Citizens Theatre Ltd. Registered in Scotland No. SC022513 and is a Scottish Charity No. SC001337. £2 transaction fee applied to online and telephone sales. No charges for in person sales.