No Exit

by Jean-Paul Sartre, translated by Jez Ashberry

11th to 13th October 2017 | The Room Upstairs, Lincoln Drill Hall

It has long been our Chairman Jez Ashberry’s ambition to direct No Exit – Huis Clos in the French original – by Jean-Paul Sartre. It’s an existentialist classic about three bad people who are condemned to spend the eternity of afterlife in Hell – and Hell, for them, is a closed, stuffy drawing room with only each other for company.

We almost managed to stage the play with Jez in the director’s chair in 2016, but unforeseen circumstances mean we had to cancel the production and re-cast. In the end we acquired a new director, David Thew, and Jez played the role of Garcin instead.

Alongside him in this claustrophobic psychological thriller were Common Ground regular Suzannah Turner (Estelle), recent arrival Jay Petherick (valet) and newcomer Nicole Doyle (Ines).

The play lasted for two hours without an interval and yet you could have heard a pin drop! Thanks to everyone involved in the production and to all who supported us by coming to watch.

Garcin Jez Ashberry
Valet Jay Petherick
Ines Nicole Doyle
Estelle Suzannah Turner
Director David Thew
Assistant Director Su Toogood
Stage Manager Shelagh Gillingham
ASM Kevin Gillingham
Lighting Kevin Gillingham, Joe Price
Sound Wilfried Nass
Set Bill Bartlett, Kevin Gillingham,
David Thew, Su Toogood
Photography Bill Bartlett 
Properties & wardrobe Su Toogood
Programme & publicity Jez Ashberry