Daphne du Maurier’s psychological thriller Don’t Look Now is to be reimagined in a bold new adaptation by New Wolsey Theatre and Salisbury Playhouse, this autumn.
The co-production finds Don’t Look Now significantly reimagined for a 21st-century audience by award-winning playwright Nell Leyshon, and directed by Douglas Rintoul.
Set in an eerie Venice, the story centres around a couple returning to the city to seek comfort and escape their intense grief. Premonitions and visions blur the lines between the living and the dead as a sinister presence closes in on them. This unnerving story navigates the difficulty of finding a way forward against the seductive pull of the past, love and the bonds of family.
Rintoul, the CEO and Artistic Director of New Wolsey Theatre, says, “I’ve long wanted to direct Don’t Look Now and create something really unnerving for this spooky time of the year. I’ve always been drawn to Daphne du Maurier’s work, and I love the slow-burn psychological horrors of the 1970s.”
He continues, “Nell Leyshon’s brilliant revisiting of her original adaptation captures the spirit of du Maurier’s original short story while speaking powerfully to modern audiences. At its heart, it is a moving and unsettling tale of a couple navigating grief, set against a Venice that seems to close in around them. I’m also delighted to be reuniting with some of the wonderful creatives I collaborated with on our Salisbury Playhouse co-production Brief Encounter. Combining great story-telling, lighting, sound, video design, and emotionally charged performances, we’re creating a theatrical event that will unnerve and move audiences long after they’ve left the theatre.”
Don’t Look Now was written as a short story in 1971 and then made into a successful film. Originally produced for theatre in 2007, this rewriting comes with the permission from the du Maurier estate and is a highly theatrical new adaptation that addresses the stereotypes and negative associations previously portrayed, particularly around disability.
Playwright and adapter Leyshon says, “I have absolutely loved revisiting Don’t Look Now and moving the focus from the shock ending to the extraordinary atmosphere and psychological realism of the couple at the heart of the story. It’s a remarkably structured piece which is haunting and completely gripping. As the events in Venice unfold, you find yourself almost unable to breathe. Du Maurier is such a wonderful writer whose skill with plot often distracts from her real understanding of people and relationships. As a fellow West Country writer, it’s a privilege to work with her words.”
Gareth Machin, Artistic Director Salisbury Playhouse adds, “Bringing this classic story to the contemporary stage with a compelling new dramatic version is hugely exciting. We’re delighted to be working with Nell Leyshon, celebrating once more the voice of the South West, and with our friends and colleagues at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, with whom we have a long and proud history.”
Don’t Look Now runs at the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, from 9-25 October and then Salisbury Playhouse 29 October-15 November 2025.
New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, tickets here. Salisbury Playhouse tickets here.
