Book description
Darker Shores is a Victorian ghost story which manages to be playfully
intelligent, emotionally resonant and also quite scary. Its ghoulish
atmosphere, biblical fanaticism and dark, knowing wit results in a piece
which is both menacing and funny. The plot is as follows: it is
Christmas 1875 and Professor Gabriel Stokes takes lodgings at The Sea
House, on a desolate stretch of the East Sussex coast. No sooner has he
arrived than the troubled history of the house comes to the fore with
unexplained and mysterious happenings. Having enlisted the help of Tom
Beauregard, an American spiritualist, the two embark on a terrifying
journey to discover the truth. Following the traditions of the finest
ghost stories, Darker Shores is a gripping and shadowy tale of suspense.
Published to coincide with its world premiere at Hampstead Theatre,
London 3 Dec 2009 -16 Jan 2010. Michael Punter has written extensively
for theatre and radio. His play The Wolves, produced by Paines Plough,
was shortlisted for the George Devine and Margaret Ramsay awards. Recent
works include Upstart Crows and for the BBC, Come to Me and The Glad
House.
