September 8 2025
Since its first show in 1979, Miracle has brought over 60 productions to life on stage. It can be baffling to imagine how each play is chosen and shaped. Some come from a extensive list of possible adaptations, while a quite a number came directly from the imagination and creativity of founder and artistic director, Bill Scott.
Most years, Miracle produces two shows — one in the summer and one in the winter. It sounds almost impossible, but while one production is still in rehearsal or on tour, preparations for the next are already underway.
In one particularly pressured season, inspiration arrived during a conversation outside a second-hand bookshop about the looming deadline for announcing the next show. Bill spotted a copy of The Case of the Frightened Lady by Edgar Wallace. A bit of research revealed that Wallace, a literary phenomenon of his day, was known knocking out a complete novel in just a few days. His works were so widely read that it was once joked they were outsold only by the Bible. Bill immediately recognised the potential for a play.
The adaptation that followed became a fast-paced, witty piece set in 1932, with Wallace himself placed at the centre of the action. Faced with a desperate demand from his publisher to deliver a new novel over a single weekend, Wallace and his household spin dizzyingly between reality and fiction, conjuring plots, arguing over dialogue, and inventing characters as they go. The result was a sparkling blend of farce, irony, memorable characters, and original songs.
The production proved to be a major success, touring twice across the South West and winning the Minack Trophy in 2005 for play of the season. Backstage at the Minack, Bill’s production has taken its place on a wall of fame, amongst some of the theatre’s most celebrated productions. The script has since enjoyed a life beyond Cornwall, including productions in Ireland, Germany and New Zealand.
You can watch the film of a performance at the Minack on YouTube. Take a look, enjoy the story, and see for yourself how this performance with its journey from page to stage delighted audiences.
Thank you to our supporters
