Theatre Studio Ensemble: The Intruder

By Maurice Maeterlinck
Translated by Richard Hovey
Directed by Ian Downes

Set in the living room of a home, the grandfather, who is blind, waits with the father, uncle, and three daughters for the arrival of a priest and a sister. The ailing mother, who is in the next room, has given birth to a child, who sleeps in an adjoining room. The family bickers amongst themselves, waiting for information and more company. After many noises, the grandfather hears two sets of footsteps upon the staircase. The maid appears, saying the door was open, and she shut it. The grandfather claims he heard someone enter the room behind the maid, but the others insist she was alone. The clock strikes midnight, the baby commences screaming, and the Sister of Mercy appears, announcing the death of the mother. It becomes clear that the intruder being referred to by the old man is death itself.

Content Warning: Direction of the play is through a horror lens and is concerned with death and illness. There is no stage combat, violence, or intimacy.