About the Play:

The Spiral Staircase is a full-length dramatic mystery adapted for the stage by F. Andrew Leslie, from the screenplay written by Mel Dinelli. This classic thriller is based on the film of the same name and tells the story of a mute healthcare aide who is terrorized by an elusive serial killer. The famous David O. Selznick motion picture was based on the novel Some Must Watch by Ethel Lina White. Because of the popularity of The Spiral Staircase, future editions of White's novel carried the movie title instead of its original name.

The Spiral Staircase has proven a popular mystery thriller as it has entertained audiences as a novel, radio drama, stage play and film. As thunder and rain echo offstage the town a Constable arrives at the isolated Warren household to report another in the series of apparently unprovoked murders that have shocked and terrified the village. Without exception the victims have been young girls – and all with a noticeable defect or imperfection of some kind. Because of this there is fear for the safety of Helen, companion of the bedridden Mrs. Warren, who has been unable to speak since undergoing the shock of witnessing her parents' horrible death some years before. The telephone wires have been downed by the storm; the Constable has stopped by in person to check on Helen's whereabouts – but neither Mrs. Oates, the housekeeper, nor Professor Warren, scholarly stepson of Mrs. Warren, has seen or heard from her since she went into the village earlier in the day. Their fears are allayed, however, when Helen, in the company of young Dr. Parry, is brought safely home. But the threat of danger still exists, for the murderer remains at large and his cleverness has denied the police any solid clues as to his identity. Warning everyone to stay behind locked doors, the Constable goes back into the storm leaving Helen to the care of the others. One by one, however, her protectors leave – or seem to – and as Helen's isolation grows, so does the threat of the killer's visit – leading to a denouement of chilling intensity. To say more would blunt the excitement of this thrilling climax where everyone, and most of all Helen, remains in doubt-filled suspense until the final, shocking moments of the play.

The Spiral Staircase was adapted for the stage in 1964 by F. Andrew Leslie, who confined the action to one set and eliminated some of the suspects, but otherwise remained faithful to the screenplay written by Mel Dinelli. The play has never had a professional performance on Broadway or the West End, though it is a staple of small repertory theatres, and has become a popular choice for school and community theatre productions.

Cast: 4 female, 4 male

About the Playwright:

F. Andrew Leslie (1927-2015) specialized in stage versions of movies, adapting either the novels from which the films were made or the screenplays themselves. He was associated with the Dramatists Play Service for 30 years until retiring, as its President in 1990. Before joining the Play Service he was an artists representative with a major New York concert management company, an agent at the William Morris Agency, and a manager for the distinguished actor Maurice Evans.

Mel Dinelli (1912-1991) was an American writer for theatre, radio, film, and magazines, usually in the suspense genre. His screenwriting credits include the exceptional suspense film The Spiral Staircase.

Ethel Lina White (1876-1944) was a British crime writer, best known for her novel The Wheel Spins, on which the Alfred Hitchcock film, The Lady Vanishes, was based. She was at the time a rival of Agatha Christie as a creator of thrillers.