Essex-based theatre company Early Doors Productions are returning to the Edinburgh Fringe this Summer, with a thriller written by Justin Cartledge. Intrigued by the play’s post-World War I and North Sea setting, I recently had the opportunity to ask show director and company Managing Director Amy Clayton some questions about the piece, which has been touring the UK this year. ‘LIGHTHOUSE’ will be at the festival during the last week, with performances at Greenside venues.
What inspired you to create Early Doors Productions?
Singing had always been my first love, but the theatre was always a close second. After touring professionally as a signed artist in my younger days (though sadly, not ever having become the superstar I had envisaged), I found myself drifting back to the stage. I’d never directed before, but after a wealth of experience gained from studying various productions, and constantly tweaking them for improvement in my own mind, I thought it was time to put my money where my mouth was. Early Doors has been my life for over 15 years now, and I am constantly striving for perfection from my performers, my productions and myself. With very high standards, this is a tall order, with disappointment constantly looming. It’s a drug, It’s all the highs. It’s all the lows. It’s an obsession. And most of the time, a very rewarding one.
‘LIGHTHOUSE’ is set just after World War I and sees two lighthouse keepers come together to train a third person. What inspires you about this story and made you want to bring it to the stage?
There is a tension that is often overlooked with the aftermath of WW1. The war was a constant, looming presence rather than a series of battles, and was not only fought in trenches and on the front lines, but also in remote, quiet places where individuals lived with prolonged uncertainty, fear, and moral ambiguity. That atmosphere of waiting and psychological strain felt especially compelling. A North Sea lighthouse offered the perfect physical expression of that tension. Its isolation, surrounded by darkness, cold, and relentless water, mirrors the emotional and mental confinement of those stationed there. A lighthouse is meant to guide and protect, yet during wartime, it becomes a strategic vulnerability, turning something symbolic of safety into a source of danger. That contradiction fascinated me, as it allowed me to reflect on the themes of duty, paranoia, and survival that defined the period, and the bleak years that followed.
With themes of trust, paranoia and greed, how are you building suspense and intrigue through your direction?
Gradually! Almost imperceptible at first, so the audience feels it happen rather than watches it happen. Visually, the early stages are marked by order and routine: composed stage-framing, regular movement, controlled colour that reflects discipline and normality. As the characters begin to unravel, the visuals subtly shift – scenes become tighter, movement less predictable, and shadows start to dominate the stage. Lighting grows harsher and more contrast-heavy, mirroring how their world narrows as their perceptions distort. Tonally, I wanted to express erosion rather than sudden transformation. Familiar and friendly dialogue slowly give way to repetition, fixation, and emotional leakage. The silences become heavier, and the small sounds – wind, waves, breathing – take on an oppressive quality. Greed and paranoia aren’t presented as external forces but as pressures born from isolation, fear, and vulnerability. By letting those elements seep into the character choices, the descent feels inevitable, as if the environment itself is pushing the characters away from themselves and toward an unequivocal obsession.
The play is currently touring the UK, featuring a final tour stop at the Edinburgh Fringe in August. What made you and the team decide that Greenside was the right venue for the show?
After our first year at the Fringe in 2022 whereby Greenside were kind enough to accept our pitch, we always approach them first with the venture we’re planning to discuss if it is right for the both of us to secure an arrangement. Greenside are like a well-oiled family; supportive, with great communication and advice, but who allow the freedom for you to deliver your show in the most effective way possible. We were elated that they wanted LIGHTHOUSE, and we jointly agreed the Thistle Studio would create the best atmosphere and dynamics for the piece.
Who is the show aimed at?
Anyone with a love of taut, well-crafted thriller twist.
What do you hope audiences take away from the performances in Edinburgh?
With any horror/thriller, it is hoped that audiences leave with a lingering sense of unease, but in this case, also reflection. On the surface, it’s a tightly wound horror/thriller, but underneath that, it’s about what happens to people when beliefs, routines, and safeguards fall away. Set after a moment of national crisis, the story asks how fear, isolation, and the pressure to survive can quietly distort judgement, morality and mortality. I hope it resonates beyond the genre – prompting questions about trust, duty, and how quickly certainty can fracture under strain. If the show stays with them after they leave the theatre, not just as a scare but as an examination of human behaviour under pressure, then I may have just done my job okay.
Catch ‘LIGHTHOUSE’ at the 2026 festival
I found it absolutely fascinating getting to hear more about Amy’s creative process and how the company is building tension on stage. The creative is clearly thinking about the whole theatrical experience, from the performance itself to audience reflections after watching the piece. ‘LIGHTHOUSE’ is at Thistle Theatre at Greenside @ Riddles Court (venue 16) from 24th – 29th August. Performances start at 20:50 (50 mins), with the show on sale via the EdFringe website now.
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