sam shammas productions - night of the fox

original poster artwork, designed by dewynters plc

Night of the Fox by Peter Briffa
Directed by Sam Shammas
World première at the Sadler's Wells Lilian Baylis, EC1
Tuesday 23rd - Saturday 27th January 1996

"...Under the determined direction of Sam Shammas, the play exerts quite a grip... with Barry Cooper giving a fiery, dedicated performance."
Peter Hepple, The Stage (February 15th 1996)

Peter Briffa was born in 1962. He was educated at Downside School, and then at Ealing College where he got a Humanities degree. Apart from writing, he has spent his time as a plasterer's mate, an office clerk, and as a hospital visitor on the terminal ward. His first play, Cherry (1990), had a rehearsed reading at the Tabard in 1993. Night Of The Fox was his first full production. He is currently working as a script consultant for the BBC.

It's a hot August night and everybody's worried. First there's Shona who's awaiting the return of her husband, Nigel. Both of them are worried about the fox that is killing all their chickens. Then there's Lucy who's chain smoking and chocolate eating. And Tom, who thinks he might have AIDS. They are soon joined by Dick, who's worried about his career, and Helen, his new girlfriend. All of them are worried about Randy, who gets out today after seven years inside.

At last Randy arrives, and Randy, as it turns out, doesn't give a stuff. As the evening progresses, we discover that he has been in prison for raping Lucy's fourteen year old sister and, most disturbingly of all, the friends find his insidious and unrepentant arguments increasingly difficult to refute.