Broadstone Players 
War Memorial Hall, Broadstone 
Chaz Davenport 
20 May 2025
This play by Brian Clemens (him of “The Avengers” and “The Professionals” fame, who was an extremely prolific screen and play writer) was completely new to me.
I like it when I haven’t got a clue as to the play because it means I have no preconceptions about what should be done here and there, and it gives the cast and crew a chance to tell me the story.
The subject matter of this tale is a little dark and deals with some pretty uncomfortable themes. It is a wordy play too – one of those plays where the action is in the words rather than the movement – at least for the first 75% of it anyway.
Husband and Wife Liz and Jack (Sue Gibson and Chris Huggill) are a holistic therapist and businessman/prospective politician, respectively.
It is in her work as therapist that Liz meets Nicki (Sue Spencer) who has nightmares – culminating in horrific memories at midnight – hence the title.
All, however, is not as it seems…… suspicions abound around Jack and his past, Nicki and her past and Nicki’s brother Billy (Kerri Widley, who does a good job with pretty much no words, just action and threat!!)
This was the opening night and there were a few nerves I think, which caused some prompting, but they were taken and the pace carried on nicely. Chris Huggill kept things ticking along very well and Sue Spencer had a lot of work to do in a detailed and heartfelt piece at the end, but delivered it nicely.
If I’m being hyper-critical, there were a couple of staging elements that didn’t work – a front door, or the appearance of having used a front door by the actors is needed. The chimes of the manipulated clock are more Grandfather than Carriage Clock and the sound of the phone doesn’t match the style of the phone. Hyper critical, I know, but they niggle me a little bit.
On the whole, the box set is functional, well built and dressed and the lighting does its job when required.
Niggles and nerves aside, I did like the play and the story. I felt that with a few more people in the audience to play to, the atmosphere needed for a thriller like this, would have been enhanced. It plays at 7:30 on evenings until Saturday, with a matinee on Saturday at 2:15.
