The Black Curtain

A co-production with The Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre, Taunton, The Theatre, Chipping Norton, and Le Preau, Normandy. The Black Curtain was supported by Arts Council England.

Devised and performed by the company: Jonathan Dunstan, Tamsin Fessey, Lynne Forbes, John Helier and David Lockwood.
The Black Curtain was directed by Tamsin Fessey with original music by Tom Ball; stage management and set design by Matthew Lewellyn Smith.

"A slick satire on modern society through the lens of film noir, the Angel Exit theatre machine sets in motion a world of twitching blinds and shadowy exchanges…. the actors slide from scene to scene with precise choreography in harmony with the versatile set."
The Argus / Three Weeks, Brighton

"The choreography hits peaks of genuine brilliance and both director Fessey and the cast instil the show with real pace and suspense… a thoroughly inventive and entertaining evening."
Remote Goat

"This is really enjoyable physical theatre having everything to entertain audiences who appreciate the grip of raw cinema, but relish live-performance"
BBC Somerset

"Anyone who likes theatre could enjoy this, it would be great for older children too. It stands out in this years Fringe for me because it is original, free of gimmicks and is presented with great commitment… It is all put together with panache, wit and great style… STOP PRESS..."EXCELLENT SHOW - GO AND SEE FOR YOURSELF"
Quidcard- Brighton fringe festival

"Film Noir is interpreted physically, and to spectacular effect… innovative and well-imagined physical theatre…. A unique brand of intuitive physical theatre."
British Theatre Guide

Duntown is sizzling in a heatwave, and Frank Harmless faces a tough choice. Led by lust into a nightmare state of paranoia, betrayal and murder, Frank stumbles into greedy journalists, secret agents, and a duplicitous femme fatale. Angel Exit conjure this seedy underworld with a trench-coated chorus, a cracking hard-boiled script and an original electro-jazz score.

Inspired by classic film noirs such as Double Indemnity, with language echoing Raymond Chandler and a narrative influenced by contemporary news stories, Angel Exit weave a web of intrigue which is at once glamorously removed from our reality but also frighteningly close.

The Black Curtain previewed at The Brewhouse as part of the Westival in July 2007, and following this we were invited to further develop the show by Le Preau Theatre, Normandy, under the PNR rural touring scheme.

After a series of visits to Normandy in which we met with the local community, we returned to France in March 2008 to rehearse and tour the production to venues within rural communities. Our UK tour commenced at The Brewhouse and during April and May we performed at 13 venues including Byre Theatre, St Andrews, the Udderbelly at the Brighton Fringe Festival, The Theatre, Chipping Norton, Portsmouth New Theatre Royal, and Jacksons Lane in London.

Black Curtain photography by Stefan Janou.

The Black Curtain

"A slick satire on modern society through the lens of film noir, the Angel Exit theatre machine sets in motion a world of twitching blinds and shadowy exchanges…. the actors slide from scene to scene with precise choreography in harmony with the versatile set." The Argus / Three Weeks, Brighton

"The choreography hits peaks of genuine brilliance and both director Fessey and the cast instil the show with real pace and suspense… a thoroughly inventive and entertaining evening." Remote Goat

"This is really enjoyable physical theatre having everything to entertain audiences who appreciate the grip of raw cinema, but relish live-performance" BBC Somerset

"Film Noir is interpreted physically, and to spectacular effect… innovative and well-imagined physical theatre…. A unique brand of intuitive physical theatre."British Theatre Guide

"A slick satire on modern society through the lens of film noir, the Angel Exit theatre machine sets in motion a world of twitching blinds and shadowy exchanges…. the actors slide from scene to scene with precise choreography in harmony with the versatile set."
The Argus / Three Weeks, Brighton

"The choreography hits peaks of genuine brilliance and both director Fessey and the cast instil the show with real pace and suspense… a thoroughly inventive and entertaining evening."
Remote Goat

"This is really enjoyable physical theatre having everything to entertain audiences who appreciate the grip of raw cinema, but relish live-performance"
BBC Somerset

"Film Noir is interpreted physically, and to spectacular effect… innovative and well-imagined physical theatre…. A unique brand of intuitive physical theatre."
British Theatre Guide