A THEATRE company has pulled the plug on a jinxed production which leaves audiences in the dark.

Disaster struck in 1970 when Sunderland's Royalty Theatre first staged the play - aptly called Wait Until Dark.

There was a power cut which caused a black-out in the auditorium and the audience had to leave.

The company didn't try to stage Frederick Knott's 1968 thriller again until this week - when the curse struck again.

Twenty minutes before the performance was due to start, a fuse blew and plunged the green room and foyer into darkness, causing chaos.

Sponsors and members of the crew and audience were left in pitch darkness until the problem could be rectified.

The show began late after some emergency work behind the scenes.

Royalty Theatre spokesman Martin Wallwork said: "The play couldn't be more aptly named.

"But we thought that after 30 years we would be safe in trying to put on the play a second time.

"But just before the performance, the place was plunged into darkness again.

"At least the show went on this time, but the production is clearly jinxed and we won't be putting it on again."

The play deals with the story of three desperate crooks trying to find a package of heroin hidden inside a blind woman's flat