Peter Colley’s haunting script brought to memorable life in new local production
Guelph Little Theatre‘s upcoming production of Peter Colley’s The Ghost Island Light offers a reprieve from fluffy Easter bunnies and a return to scares and suspense seven months to Halloween. The play travels back in time to 1913 and visits a lighthouse in the famed Thousand Islands archipelago in the Saint Lawrence River. A new lighthouse keeper (played by Ken Cameron), his wife (Oriana Abrahamse), an assistant (Shayne Coffin), and the local caretaker (Rihannon Phillips) discover the building is haunted by a mysterious ghost, and as the weeks pass, strange happenings and isolation begin to get to them.
In a show such as this, it’s the building suspense that sells the experience. Set crew member and soundboard operator Judith Eden has seen it all come to life. She worked hard perfecting the intricacies of the illusion, from bullet holes to moving wall pieces to secrets which cannot be divulged here. However, the true magic, she said, lies with the lights and sounds, perfectly timed to send chills down the spines of audience members.
During the first dress rehearsal, as the technology, sets, and actors came together for the first time, even the rough quality and occasional mismatched cue couldn’t reduce the terror and excitement the show inspired in those watching. Ghost Island Light sets the mood like a classic thriller, with the dark tones and emotional strife of an Edgar Allen Poe piece paired with the suspense and jump-scares of Steven Spielberg’s works. This is most definitely not a show to see by oneself.
Adding to the fresh feel is the fact that the playwright, Canadian Peter Colley, has been open to workshopping and altering some of the materials for this production. Assistant director and stage manager Jayne Simpson noted the opportunities this has provided: “It’s given the actors more freedom to give suggestions on what they think might work better.” This has allowed for adaptations to suit the play to the theatre and the four stellar actors involved in the production. All changes come with a full blessing from the playwright, who will be attending the final rehearsals as well as the show’s opening night.
The Ghost Island Light runs at Guelph Little Theatre April 6 to 21.
Photo by Karen K. Tran/The Ontarion