The Uninvited: A Play in Three Acts

by Tim Kelly, Dorothy Macardle (based on the novel by)

Dorothy Macardle's classic ghost story. (see: The Uninvited)

Seeking to escape the demands of life in London, Pam Fitzgerald and her brother, Roddy, an aspiring playwright, discover a charming house in the west of England, overlooking the Irish Sea. The house, Cliff End, has long been empty, and they are able to purchase it at a suspiciously low price from crusty Commander Brooke, the village curmudgeon. The reason is soon apparent: The house has an unsavory reputation. Fifteen years earlier a murder may or may not have occurred by the gnarled tree that can be viewed from the parlor window. Slowly the Fitzgeralds begin to sense the evil spirit that still inhabits the house, announcing its presence with a sudden, bone-chilling cold. Their housekeeper's cat will not enter the nursery, where the sound of a weeping woman adds to the tense atmosphere, and the scent of a flowery, exotic perfume called mimosa comes and goes. The village doctor, the local gossip, and a former governess visit, with strange stories of the beautiful Mary Meredith, who once lived in the house and of the striking, unstable Carmel, who posed for a painting that led to her destruction. With the help of Mary's daughter, Stella, a beautiful young girl whose mysterious birth holds the key to the puzzle, and a seance arranged by an actress friend of the Fitzgeralds, Cliff End is forced, at last, to reveal its dark secrets. The action then builds steadily to a truly terrifying climax, in which the ghost is discovered to be not only real but dangerous.

Genres: Plays, Horror, Theatre, Supernatural

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Mr. Kelly, who was born in 1931, wrote more than 300 comedies, dramas, one-acts, mysteries, melodramas, children's shows and musicals, making his living writing for the stock, amateur and educational markets.

He wrote under his own name, and also at least four pseudonyms (Vera Morris, J. Moriarty, Robert Swift, Keith Jackson), for publishers such as Samuel French, Pioneer Drama Service and Contemporary Drama Service, among others.

Pioneer alone has 130 scripts by Kelly, according to Pioneer publisher Steven Fendrich. "It covers the gamut," Fendrich told Playbill On-Line Dec. 10. Mr. Kelly was the first playwright to sign up with the Colorado-based Pioneer when it was founded in 1967 by Fendrich's father.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book; however, there were some negatives. 1)There are differences in culture that made some thing difficult to comprehend--but they weren't major to the plot of the story so it wasn't that big a deal. 2) I felt like she kept dragging the story out when it could have ended so much sooner. I figured out the twist several chapters before it was actually "discovered" in the end. At that point, so much time had gone by, it wasn't much of a climax.
Overall, the book was an enjoyable read.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story in a collection of spooky stories. It's good and I like it because the the way the characters deal with ghosts is similar to my family's dealings. The mystery itself is not as obvious as it seems therefore I experienced chills near the end when faced with the real culprit.

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the act and see what is possible

You definitely want a copy of “The Uninvited- A Play in Three Acts”,

Now that you have watched the movie which changed the story somewhat for viewing, and you have read the book to see the source, now it is time to slow down and read the play. If you are lucky the play will appear again.

[R.K. Cowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

[Logan Noble · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore the film version, but this play feels slight. It loses a lot as a stage adaptation.

[Ron Kerrigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take care to get the novel, not the play script, if that's what you're looking for. The version with Tim Kelly as author is not the novel.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit boring & wordy. Need to be able to pull off the special FX. I was "Lizzie" who is a fun character regardless. 2004