‘Midnight’ strikes at Civic

“I’ll Be Back Before Midnight,” which the Spokane Civic Theatre launches tonight on the Main Stage, is a mystery-thriller in the popular tradition of “Deathtrap,” “Sleuth” and “Wait Until Dark.”

There’s only one difference: Many people think it’s better.

Peter Colley’s 1979 thriller is the most-produced play in Canada’s theater history (it originated in Ontario) and has been staged in 24 other countries and 48 out of the 50 U.S. states.

This is the second time the Civic has produced it. A shockingly effective production in 1992 had audience members grabbing their seatmates in alarm – even when they were total strangers.

Colley, a Canadian playwright who also writes TV scripts (“Due South,” “Watership Down”), was quoted as saying that he decided early on that, “If I was going to scare people, I was really going to go all the way.”

His script is filled with raging storms, bizarre twists, dead bodies, suspicious characters and gullible victims.

It’s about a neurotic city couple who move into a spooky old farmhouse. The story also involves an archeological dig, a legendary murder and an eccentric old farmer.

Any more detail might ruin the surprise – or should we say multiple surprises.

The shocks aren’t confined to the script. This show also has complicated technical effects. Colley has written a 17-page technical manual to go with the script to help theaters re-create the show’s fearsome magic.

Colley also wrote a 1992 movie version, retitled “Illusions,” which starred Heather Locklear, Robert Carradine and Ned Beatty. The magic apparently didn’t transfer well to the screen – the movie vanished without a trace.

The Civic’s version is directed by Wes Deitrick and features Dave Rideout, Angie Dierdorff Petro, Ron Ford and Heather Swanstrom.