Saw a production of this on April 26, 2025 (the setting was updated to be in 2000, but the dialogue seemed to be pretty much the same, so I’m allowing myself to review the actual script). Seeing this with my family was fun: the plot was admittedly predictable, but correctly guessing the events or twists was enjoyable. The characters were interesting, especially the complicated relationships between John, Elaine and Blanche— a lot more is spelled out through actions and directions instead of dialogue, which I liked. It prevents the viewing experience from being painfully on-the-nose. Elaine’s PTSD-adjacent reactions were a creative (but also slightly exploitative) method of exposition, although it’s made clunkier by the ending. Seeing it be performed, though, made the entire thing seem almost boringly slow (made especially so by there only being one setting), but theatre nerds who care more about characters than plot will enjoy it.

The second act was interesting, I was very intrigued by the gaslighting parallels, and how Elaine flipped the dynamic between her and John RIGHT as he was starting to show his true colors. But I hated the ending twist. I was expecting more from this play, and, sure, while it does a fantastic job at foreshadowing, the truth/culprit so painfully stereotypical.

Perhaps it’s on me for expecting something feminist in 1972, but all the horror of “Night Watch” comes from Elaine being repeatedly doubted and gaslit, so… why did the playwright feel the need to make her this mastermind determined to expose her husband’s infidelity?? Not only does it evaporate the tension, it has misogynistic undertones imo, even if Elaine used misogyny to her advantage in the last scene? And it feels like a cheap attempt at being unpredictable.

Not sure if I’d recommend this. I guess so, if you know the theatre company performing it will be great. If you’re just intending to read this on your own, or judge it as a piece of text, it’s okay. Or terrible, depending on how pretentious you think it is.