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Entertainment
May 31, 2026
Analyzed by GPT OSS 120B

Black Comedy Review: Lighting Takes Center Stage in Shaffer’s Relentless Farce

AI Summary
The Guardian’s review praises the Orange Tree production of Peter Shaffer’s 1965 play *Black Comedy* for turning its lighting gimmick into a comedic powerhouse. Director Caroline Steinbeis and lighting designer Elliot Griggs deliver a relentless, helpless laughter that rivals the best farces on stage.

The Lead: A Darkly Bright Review of Shaffer’s Farce

The Guardian’s latest stage review celebrates the Orange Tree Theatre’s revival of Peter Shaffer’s *Black Comedy*, highlighting how the production’s inventive lighting turns darkness into the show’s main character.

Lighting as the Star: How the Play Turns Darkness into Comedy

Inspired by a Chinese‑theatre lamp gag, the production stages a power cut with blinding brightness to represent total darkness, and vice‑versa. When a match is struck the lights dim; a switch flicked on triggers an instant blackout, forcing actors to navigate the tiny stage blind and then stumble about as if they can’t see each other while the audience watches the chaos unfold.

Key Production Details

Critical Reception and Box‑Office Snapshot

While the review does not provide hard numbers, the production’s limited 75‑minute run and its pairing with the Menier Chocolate Factory revival of *Equus* suggest a strategic centenary push that is likely to attract both Shaffer enthusiasts and farce lovers, bolstering ticket sales during the summer season.

Reviving Shaffer: The Play’s Relevance in Modern Theatre

The piece, set in a post‑World‑War‑II context, unintentionally resonates with today’s fragile power‑supply anxieties. Historical touches—Directory Enquiries, antique fuse boxes, and two “comedy Germans”—are balanced by contemporary direction, such as a Caribbean‑styled cleaning‑lady routine that updates Maggie Smith’s original mockney lines.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Farce on Post‑Pandemic Stages

With *Black Comedy* proving its staying power alongside the high‑brow *Equus*, the Guardian predicts a renewed appetite for technically inventive farces that blend physical comedy with modern staging tricks. Directors may increasingly lean on lighting and set design to create immersive, laugh‑inducing spectacles that compensate for smaller venue capacities.