This autumn, Don’t Look Now returns to the stage in a bold new adaptation co-produced by New Wolsey Theatre and Salisbury Playhouse.
Written by award-winning playwright Nell Leyshon and directed by Douglas Rintoul, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of New Wolsey Theatre, this psychological thriller has been reimagined for a 21st-century audience.
Set in a hauntingly atmospheric Venice, Don’t Look Now follows a grieving couple seeking solace in the city’s shadowed canals. As eerie visions and premonitions blur the line between the living and the dead, a sinister force begins to close in.
Originally a short story by Daphne du Maurier, Don’t Look Now was adapted into a film in 1973 and first staged in 2007. This new version, rewritten with permission from the du Maurier estate, addresses outdated portrayals, particularly around disability, and brings fresh psychological depth to the narrative.
“I’ve long wanted to direct Don’t Look Now and create something really unnerving for this spooky time of the year,” said Douglas Rintoul. “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.”
Playwright Nell Leyshon added: “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.”
Gareth Machin, Artistic Director of Salisbury Playhouse, said: “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.”
Don’t Look Now will run at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich from 9 – 25 October 2025, and at Salisbury Playhouse from 29 October – 15 November 2025.
Listings and ticket information can be found here:
