World War II drama ‘The Night Watch’ coming to Gamm

WARWICK – The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) opens the new year with the U.S. premiere of “The Night Watch,” Hattie Naylor’s adaptation of Sarah Waters’ best-selling novel.

Gamm Artistic Director Tony Estrella directs this poignant story about liberation and loss set against the disorienting backdrop of the Second World War.

Bursting with secrets and illicit affairs, “The Night Watch” moves backward in time through the 1940s into the frenzy of the Blitz. Like an emotional detective story, the play follows the intertwined histories of five young Londoners – played by Gamm newcomers Gillian Mariner Gordon (Kay), Erin Eva Butcher (Helen), Meg Kiley Smith (Julia) and Patrick Mark Saunders (Duncan), and Rachel Dulude (Sonya in Uncle Vanya) – as they unfold in surprising ways.

A Welsh writer best known for her Victorian-era novels featuring lesbian protagonists (“Tipping the Velvet,” “Fingersmith”), “Waters has created a stunning feat of reverse engineering,” Estrella said. “Starting in 1947 London amid the rubble-strewn aftermath of the war, her story and Naylor’s ambitious adaptation unfold backward through the German blitzes of 1944 and 1941. As a result, the play’s heartbreaking end shines ironically like a beacon of hope. “The Night Watch” is a love story, a tale of resistance, and a powerful, welcome reminder of the need for decency and compassion in dark times. “

“The Night Watch” runs from Jan. 17 to Feb. 10 at The Gamm Theatre, 1245 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick, RI. Tickets are $44, $52 and $60; preview performances (Jan. 17 to 20) are $33. Call 401-723-4266 or order online at gammtheatre.org.

In the late 1940s, calm has returned to London and people are recovering from the chaos of war. In a quiet dating agency, a bombed-out church, and a prison cell, the stories of four women and a young man unfold backward to the heart of the Blitz, revealing the secret desires and regrets that bind them together.

“Expertly captures the surge of empowerment experienced by many women during the second world war.” – The Guardian

“‘The Night Watch’ burns with a slow but scorching intensity, like the blasts that constantly put its circle of four Londoners at risk. It’s Sarah Waters’ triumph.” – The Independent (UK) book review

Season supporter: Rhode Island State Council on the Arts

This production is sponsored in part by a donation from Daniel and Ivy Marwil.

CAST

Kay Langrish: Gillian Mariner Gordon

Julia Standing/Mrs. Leonard:

Meg Kiley Smith

Horace Mundy/Mr. Wilson: Jim O’Brien

Duncan Pearce: Patrick Mark Saunders

Helen Giniver: Rachel Dulude Viv Pearce: Erin Eva Butcher Robert Fraser/Cole: Michael Liebhauser

Mickey/Mrs. Alexander: Casey Seymour Kim

CREW

Set design by Michael McGarty Costume design by Meg Donnelly

Lighting Design by Steve McLellan

Sound design by Alex Eizenberg Stage Management by Robin Grady

CALENDAR

(Please note: All evening performances now start at 7:30 p.m.) Thursday, Jan. 17 preview at 7:30 Friday, Jan. 18 preview at 7:30 Saturday, Jan. 19 preview at 7:30 Sunday, Jan. 20 preview at 2 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 20 preview at 7:30 Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 Thursday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 Friday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 Saturday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 Sunday, Jan. 27 at 2* Sunday, Jan. 27 at 7:30 Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 Thursday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 Friday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 Saturday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 Sunday, Feb. 3 at 2 Sunday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 Thursday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 Friday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 Saturday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 Sunday, Feb. 10 at 2:00 Sunday, Feb. 10 at 7:30

* Followed by humanities discussion with special guests. Discussion is open to the public and free of charge.