The Cat and the Canary | Bill Kenwright UK Tour, January-August 2020
Carl Grose’s adaptation of John Willard’s 1922 thriller, directed by Roy Marsden for Bill Kenwright’s Classic Thriller Theatre Company. The production toured from Theatre Royal Windsor (opening January 15) through venues including Princess Theatre Torquay, Queen’s Theatre Barnstable, Malvern Festival Theatre, and Bath Theatre Royal, with the tour eventually completed in autumn 2021 following COVID-19 disruption.
takis designed the production’s gothic atmosphere—a spooky mansion where relatives gather for a will reading twenty years after their eccentric uncle’s death. The design captured the play’s “creepy comedy thriller” tone, balancing genuine suspense with dark humor. Roy Marsden, best known as Inspector Dalgliesh in the P.D. James adaptations, directed his fifth production for Classic Thriller Theatre Company.
Adaptor Carl Grose, co-artistic director of Kneehigh Theatre (with credits including book and lyrics for The Grinning Man), reimagined Willard’s classic for contemporary audiences while preserving its golden-age thriller atmosphere. The production demonstrated how classic theatrical suspense remains effective when given sharp design and direction.
Creative Team: Original: John Willard | Adaptation: Carl Grose | Director: Roy Marsden | Designer: takis | Lighting: Chris Davey | Producer: Bill Kenwright