Hour Before Nightfall, an intriguing and thought-provoking stage play by Plymouth playwright Shane Scott, is receiving its world premiere on Friday 9 October in the church at St Neot, 3 miles from where the original story is set.

This fast-moving and entertaining stage play is based on the true story of Frederick Densham, a mysterious living hermit who lived in the remote Bodmin Moor village of Warleggan from 1931 until his death in 1953.

Written about by Daphne du Maurier and others, the story is rooted in the landscape of Cornwall and is driven by the evolving relationship between its two contrasting characters: the eccentric Rev Densham, and a young American journalist from Life Magazine on her first European assignment.

Playwright Shane Scott told us, ‘Hour Before Nightfall offers an intriguing and enjoyable evening in the theatre. The play has been described as a surprisingly moving piece of theatrical storytelling. When the worlds of the two very different characters collide, the outcome is really quite magical.’

‘With Jo Loyn directing, Charlie Coldfield in the role of Frederick Densham and Senga Clarke-Côté in the role of Barbara Kushman Jones, I'm fortunate to be working with a really great director and company of professional actors.’

See our website here for further details and information on venues, dates and how to book.