Angel Street (Gaslight)

Patrick Hamilton’s 1939 thriller Gas Light tells the story of the Manninghams, who live in apparent tranquility in 19th-century Victorian London. The American production opened in New York under the title Angel Street, and was later made into a film in 1940 and again in 1944, both under the original title Gaslight. As the play unfolds it becomes clear that not everything is as idyllic as it appears; Mr. Manningham is trying to drive his wife Bella to the brink of insanity. The arrival of Inspector Rough adds another twist to the tale, as he is convinced that Manningham is a homicidal maniac. Suspense and drama mounts as Bella and Inspector Rough work to figure out what is fact and what is fantasy within Mr. Manningham’s fiendish schemes.