Rev. Densham Play

The Hour Before Nightfall - A new stage play about Reverend Densham by Shane Scott

Set in Warleggan and rooted in the landscape of Cornwall, The Hour Before Nightfall is a fast-moving and entertaining stage play based on the true story of Frederick Densham, who lived in the village from 1931 until his death in 1953.

Shortly after his arrival, Densham closed the Sunday School, surrounded the rectory with barbed wire, and installed a pack of dogs to keep strangers away. Within months, his parishioners had boycotted the church and eventually, he ended up preaching to a congregation of cards, each bearing the name of a former rector, propped up in the pews.

Part biography, part ghost story, part journey of discovery, the play is driven by an evolving relationship between its two contrasting characters: the mysterious Reverend Densham and a young American journalist for Life Magazine on her first European assignment.

There are people still living in Warleggan who remember the eccentric Revd Densham, a number of whom were interviewed when researching the play, which is in its final stages of development with a full production planned for autumn 2026.

You are invited to join an audience feedback session immediately after the reading