STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT

Written and Produced by Lynne Harvey

Directed by Fraser Grant

Strangers In The Night is a macabre, odd little piece with a chequered history. Written eight years ago it had two offers of production at the time and Lynne turned them both down. Both production companies wanted to tinker in very strange ways with the simple but strong original idea. Long time professional associate and good friend Fraser Grant started to become interested in making films and took on Strangers In The Night, something he has always wanted to direct.

August 18th 2009 was one of the best days of my professional life so far. Everything came together on the day, the weather, the setting, the car, the chemistry of all involved. It was a truly fantastic day and a day when everything worked.

It was quite emotional to see the boys before the crash knowing what they would be looking like very soon, we hope Marc Almond is going to be proud of us...

Fraser Grant studied French at Edinburgh University and trained as a director at Drama Studio London. After five years as artistic director of the Drayton Court Theatre Company, he went on to become head of Music Theatre at The London College of Music and Media as well as Head of Drama at the Junior College. He is now Head of Drama at Harvington School in Ealing coupling this with a continuing career in professional Opera and Music Theatre directing.

Opera Work includes La Traviata, Carmen, Tosca, The Pearl Fishers, Le Nozze di Figaro, La Cenerentola, Don Giovanni, La Boheme, Madame Butterfly, Fidelio, Rigoletto , Die Fledermaus and The Magic Flute for First Act Opera, Cosi Fan Tutte, le Nozze di Figaro, Eugene Onegin, L’Elisir d’Amore and Il Barbiere di Siviglia for Oyster Opera, Eight Songs for a Mad King for Solaris Music Theatre at the Purcell Room, Lucia di Lammermoor, The Mikado, Dido and Aeneas, La Cenerentola,The Marriage of Figaro, The Pirates of Penzance and The Magic Flute for Opera South East and The Magic Flute for Music Theatre Kernow.

At LCCM fraser has directed students in productions of Hansel and Gretel, Days of Hope, The Soldier’s Tale, Weill Women and Shaken Not Stirred (a new musical written in collaboration with composing students).

More recently he directed his own updated translation of Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. He recently adapted and directed a production of Carmen for the Unicorn Theatre using a mix of professional singers and children from local schools.

As a Theatre Director he has directed many productions including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Abigail’s Party, The Wanderer, Broken Glass, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Threepenny Opera. He directed the Scottish premiere of Sondheim's Into The Woods and has won several awards for Best Production on the Edinburgh Fringe. His collaboration with playwright Lynne Harvey includes world premieres of The Jingo Drill, C, Laugh Out Loud and Something For The Grown Ups. He also works in Italy where he has directed touring productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, Twist and Shout - The Beatles' Story, Jekyll and Hyde, Romeo and Juliet, The Blues Brothers, Hamlet and A Christmas Carol.

Recent projects include: 2 productions of La Traviata, Cosi Fan Tutte, The Merry Widow and a spectacular for the staff of Lloyds TSB starring their chief executives and double bill of Cavalleria Rusticana and Gianni Schicchi for Opera South East.

Robin Drake and Louis Murrall immediately after the 'crash'

Louis Murrall as the dying Peter

Robin Drake as the dying Colin

Louis Murrall as Peter

Louis Murrall and Robin Drake in the end shot of

Strangers In The Night

Behind the scenes 

Behind the scenes 

Fraser Grant with Robin and Louis before the 'crash' 

Louis and Robin 

Fraser filming from on top of the car