Jamaica Inn

Play

Writers: Lisa Evans

Overview

Show Information

Based on the Play/Book/Film
Daphne Du Maurier's 1936 novel Jamaica Inn
Category
Play
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
2004
Genres
Drama
Settings
Period, Simple/No Set
Time & Place
Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, 1820s
Cast Size
medium
Ideal for
College/University, Community Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Regional Theatre
Casting Notes
Mostly male cast
Includes young adult, adult, mature adult characters

Synopsis

Mary Yellan’s journey across the bleak Bodmin Moor to fulfill her dying mother’s wish that she stays with her Aunt Patience at Jamaica Inn is the start of a nightmare. Mary finds her Aunt a broken woman, married to the brutish Joss Merlyn. Under the roof of the dark inn, Mary begins to discover mysterious goings on in the dead of night and dark happenings along the wild Cornish coast. In an attempt to protect Patience, Mary is unwillingly drawn into the dark deeds of her Uncle Joss and his murderous accomplices. With her conscience following her like a shadow, Mary questions her own moral compass as she starts to fall dangerously in love with a man she dares not trust. As officers of the law draw in around them and the number of dead bodies begins to rise, can Mary survive the nightmares of the Cornish coast?

Adapted from Daphne DuMaurier’s 1930 novel of the same name, Jamaica Inn has become one of the most iconic tales of ghost stories and smuggling on the Cornish coast. This play with music relies on a simple set with the actors portraying the animals, carts, carriages, and wild noises to evoke the eerie, gothic atmosphere of the Cornish moors.

Lead Characters


Jamaica Inn guide sections