Gaslight Review – A Victorian Suspense Thriller

Playwright Patrick Hamilton’s mystery-thriller GAS LIGHT premiered in London in 1938 and opened to rave reviews on Broadway in 1941 – two days before Pearl Harbor. It ran for 1,295 performances and closed in 1944. GAS LIGHT was also produced as “Five Chelsea Lane” and “Angel Street,” each with some changes from the original. In fact, in each iteration including stage and film versions, GASLIGHT sustained a variety of changes.

Jaxon Duff Gwillim – Photo by Phil Cass

GASLIGHT was subsequently adapted into two films, one in the United Kingdom in 1940 and one in the U.S. in 1944. The American adaptation, directed by George Cukor and initially titled “The Murder in Thornton Square;” starred Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, and Joseph Cotton. GASLIGHT was nominated for multiple awards and won Oscars for best actress (Bergman) and best production design. Clearly, GASLIGHT in all its forms was an audience pleaser. In 2025, The Pacific Resident Theatre proudly presents GASLIGHT for today’s audiences. To quote Artistic Director Marilyn Fox: “GASLIGHT is a clever, suspenseful, enticing piece in the vein of the vintage thriller style productions that PRT is known for…holds a mirror to the present while echoing a past of internal uncertainty and turbulence…transports, and supports, our audiences during a time of social and psychological sensitivity, not unlike the challenges of a period and situation in which these characters connect us to a different century with a sense of familiarity as the author explores how easily truth becomes distorted, how someone’s sense of reality is quietly undermined.”

Tania Getty and Jaxon Duff Gwillim – Photo by Phil Cass

The time is 1880, and the place is a very foggy London. Mrs. Manningham (Tania Getty) has been married to her controlling husband (Jaxon Duff Gwillim) for several years. They live in a shadowy Victorian mansion which harbors chilling secrets from its murky past. Tension mounts as the young and innocent bride begins to suspect that she is imagining things, forgetting events, and losing her mind – facts which her abusive husband is more than willing and even eager to point out daily. After all, almost nightly the gas lights flicker and almost die for no reason – and eerie footsteps tap and scrape their way across the creaking floor. On top of that, multiple items seems to disappear – which she later finds nestled in her personal possessions. But no one seems to be aware of these happenings except for the troubled wife. All the while, her husband suggests that she might benefit from a long stay in an asylum like her mother before her. Enter the mysterious Detective Rough (Stuart W. Howard), who is investigating the unsolved murder of the home’s previous tenant. Tension and suspicion mount as the boundary between reality and fantasy blurs.

Skillfully helmed by Michael Rothhaar, GASLIGHT does an excellent job of slowly but inexorably building suspense as bits of the puzzle begin to fall into place. The talented cast does credit to the melodramatic events which ensue. Taubert Nadalini’s set and Shon Le Blanc’s costumes breathe life into the Victorian period, while Michael’s Franco’s lighting and Claire German’s sound telegraph the eerie and frightening aspects of the terrifying and murderous tale. GASLIGHT will certainly appeal to audiences with an interest in the gothic, as well as the mysterious, exciting, and entertaining. While many are probably familiar with the film, it is likely that – after more than 80 years – few have had the opportunity to see Patrick Hamilton’s play. This is a rare opportunity to enjoy a bit of theater history.

GASLIGHT runs through August 10, 2025, with performances at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and at 3 p.m. on Sundays. Pacific Resident Theatre is located at 705 ½ Venice Blvd., Venice, CA 90291. Tickets are $35 on Thursdays and $35 on Fridays through Sundays. For information and reservations, call 310-822-8392 or go online.