SURREY — Set upon the hill on a dark stretch of 184th Avenue is Surrey Little Theatre, a small wooden building that once stood as Clayton United Church. The former place of worship is used as the independent theatre troupe's very own haunt.
There are still original pews in the petite building's entrance, with a concession for food sales, a 76-seat auditorium and a number of smaller rooms that can tuck away cast and crew in a deceptively small space. It's eerie, actually.
The latter is exactly why the spot is the perfect venue for Surrey Little Theatre's latest production, I'll Be Back Before Midnight.
The play is a murder-mystery thriller starring Surrey's Harry Pering, who plays the lead role of Greg, Shannon Pedder as Jan, Holly Zonneveld as Laura and Joe Tenta as George.
Greg and his wife Jan are taken in by a neighbouring farmer, George, who delights in frightening the pair with gruesome stories of ghosts and murder. Meanwhile, Greg's haughty sister, Laura, makes trouble for the couple by overstaying her welcome at their new, rural home.
Directed by theatre veteran and longtime member of the SLT, Rita Price, the production is one that'll have theatre-goers biting their nails and wondering what's going to happen next.
"I absolutely loved this play," Price told the Now at a dress rehearsal for the show.
"When I read this particular play, I was two pages away from the ending and I couldn't figure out how it would end. I thought, 'There's only two more pages!' and then, you know, 'Wow, this is a thriller.' When you can read something and if you don't know how it's going to end then that, to me, is a real suspense thriller," she said, noting that she's read hundreds of scripts over her career.
I'll Be Back Before Midnight is the 23rd play Price has directed. Peter Colley's suspenseful plot wasn't the only reason Price chose the play.
"Because it's a small theatre, obviously it's a small stage, so when you have a play and there's 15 people in it, it's not going to work," she said.
Price had to consider whether they could physically do the play, and a four-person cast made it a no-brainer. The play also made the cut for subject matter, as Price and the rest of SLT thought it was suitable for their audience.
"Some plays belong in certain parts of Vancouver and they are not going to fly (in Surrey)," Price admitted.
"Some of the plays have very colourful language and very suggestive material and I go back, and think, 'These are not Surrey Little Theatre patrons,'" she said.
It's been quite a while since the group put on a murder-mystery thriller, Price noted, but I'll Be Back Before Midnight just couldn't be shelved away for later.
While Price's personal penchant is comedy, she wanted to delve into a little drama, as well.
"There's a saying that even in drama, there's comedic moments, and even in comedy, there's dramatic moments. It's just that the ratio changes," she said.
"There's definitely some comedic relief," she assured the Now, before presenting the show to this reporter in a blacked-out auditorium late Monday night.
To find out how it all ends, well, you'll just have to find out for yourself.
I'll Be Back Before Midnight runs from Jan. 29 to Feb. 21, Thursdays to Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees on Feb. 8 and 15 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at Brownpapertickets.com or reserved by calling 604-576-8451. Surrey Little Theatre is located at 7027 184th St., Surrey.