John Ball's in the Heat of the Night

No cover — Matt Pelfrey, Darren Richardson, Kalen Harriman, James Morrison: John Ball's in the Heat of the Night (EBook, 2015, L A Theater Works)

preloaded digital audio player

Published Oct. 1, 2015 by L A Theater Works.

ISBN:: 978-1-4676-1936-3

(1 review)

Based on John Ball's novel which inspired the Oscar-winning film and the Emmy-winning television series, In the Heat of the Night pits a visiting black detective from California against a small Alabama town simmering with anger over desegregation. A fitting reflection of America in the 1960s, this Off-Broadway hit is provocative, timely, and uncomfortably relevant.

An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast recording, featuring Ryan Vincent Anderson, Michael Hammond, Kalen Harriman, Travis Johns, James Morrison, Darren Richardson, and Tom Virtue. Directed by Brian Kite. Recorded before a live audience by L.A. Theatre Works.

1 edition

Stephanie Jane reviewed John Ball's in the Heat of the Night by James Morrison

Powerful drama

4 stars

John Ball's In The Heat Of The Night is my second LA Theatre Works audio play this summer, both downloaded thanks to the wonderful AudioSYNC programme. This powerful drama of racial segregation and bigotry in 1960s Alabama paired with the Victorian-era farce that was The Explorers Club really show off the versatility of the company and I am certainly interested to hear more of their work - or maybe even get to see a production one day!

The novel In The Heat Of The Night was made famous by the Sidney Poitier film of the same which I don't think I've ever seen. For this stage production, playwright Matt Pelfry returned to the original novel and, for legal reasons, wasn't allowed to put in anything from the film that wasn't initially in the book so the two have significant differences. The interesting interviews at the end of the play discuss …

John Ball's In The Heat Of The Night is my second LA Theatre Works audio play this summer, both downloaded thanks to the wonderful AudioSYNC programme. This powerful drama of racial segregation and bigotry in 1960s Alabama paired with the Victorian-era farce that was The Explorers Club really show off the versatility of the company and I am certainly interested to hear more of their work - or maybe even get to see a production one day!

The novel In The Heat Of The Night was made famous by the Sidney Poitier film of the same which I don't think I've ever seen. For this stage production, playwright Matt Pelfry returned to the original novel and, for legal reasons, wasn't allowed to put in anything from the film that wasn't initially in the book so the two have significant differences. The interesting interviews at the end of the play discuss this issue as well as other problems caused by effectively producing theatre for radio.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the play. The strong characters are convincingly played by an excellent cast and it was generally easy to keep up with who was doing what. The murder investigation at the heart of the piece does take second place to the outrageous attitudes of the white townsfolk and police to the presence of a black police officer. It was interesting to hear the audience reactions to the more vicious dialogues and their uncertainty about laughing at humorous moments within the context of such a shocking play.