Film & Theatre, Reviews | Posted on February 11th, 2026 | return to news

REVIEW:
I’ll Be Back Before Midnight

Bournemouth Little Theatre, Winton
By Marilyn Barber | newseditor@dorsetview.co.uk

A thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat – and, in my case, on a couple of occasions, nearly jumping out of it – is clearly achieving what it sets out to do: to engage the audience in a couple of hours of escapism.

Directed by Don Cherrett, the play follows the story of Jan, recovering from a nervous breakdown, who moves with her archaeologist husband, Greg, to a remote farmhouse. Is Jan relapsing, or should we look more carefully towards her unsympathetic husband?

Marianne Chabin, who is just 21 years of age, steps into the shoes of Jan with aplomb, evoking sympathy and understanding in equal measure.

It soon becomes clear that her husband is not quite as he first appears, with Barry Gray bringing a steely edge as Greg, a husband with more than one secret up his sleeve.

Laura, his sister, is coming to stay, which brings an uncomfortable element into the mix, as Jan dislikes and mistrusts her.

Denise King puts in a rather good performance as the manipulative and unlikeable Laura, who has an unnaturally close relationship with her brother. One moment coy and the next unpleasant, her motives are very suspect.

Enter eccentric farmer and landlord George Willoughby, played with comedic skill and energy by Bob Rankin, who puts in a standout performance.

Atmosphere is added to this story, which has shocking twists, by sound effects like booming heartbeats. The stage set is ingenious too.

This production, which is part of the ‘Dying with Laughter’ series, is another triumph for this company – and you won’t guess the ending.

It runs until Saturday 14 February, and tickets are available from the Bournemouth Little Theatre website – if there are any left.