Snake in The Grass

By Alan Ayckbourn
Directed by Michael Cabot

Following the death of her father, Annabel Chester returns to her childhood home to set his affairs in order and claim her inheritance.  Her seemingly vulnerable younger sister, Miriam, whose life has centred around caring for the old man and Alice, his former nurse, are both finding their own way of navigating his untimely demise.

In the ornate but neglected garden of the family home, focal point of the sisters’ childhoods, a tennis court lies abandoned and unloved.  As the wind gently ripples through the trees, the door to the summer house opens and a rocking chair moves, as if brushed by an invisible hand.  Awoken by the intensity of long-buried memories, an unseen energy begins to gather in the growing dusk.

Part dark comedy, part psychological thriller, Snake in the Grass is classic Alan Ayckbourn with a supernatural twist.  Family secrets and deeply hidden trauma gradually surface as the sisters come to terms with their long-forgotten past.  Humour, horror and suspense intertwine as Ayckbourn expertly delves into the darkness, revealing the hidden forces that lurk among the wildflowers and the weeds.