Campfire Radio Theater – “Gerald”
We are proud to present “Gerald,” a terrifying adaptation of a true horror classic. Originally written by Bill Gray and produced for the legendary CBC series Nightfall in 1982, this story has haunted listeners for decades.
With kind permission from Bill, Campfire Radio Theater has produced a new version of this excellent story. This marks the second episode I have co-produced with John Ballentine. Despite the obstacles and setbacks we faced during production, it was a privilege to bring this dark tale to a new generation of listeners.
The Story: Fireflies in a Jar
“Do you know where your children are? Do you know what they’re thinking about… when they’re thinking about you?”
Amid an atmosphere of growing hysteria, a small town minister is determined to get to the bottom of a series of unspeakable crimes. But the evil he seeks is closer than he thinks, as his young son, Gerald, comes under the influence of a not-so-imaginary friend named Tom.
Gerald learns that fireflies don’t live long in captivity under glass. And much like the human soul, their light is fragile… and easily extinguished.
Listener Response
Listeners have described “Gerald” as one of the series’ darkest and most frightening episodes, praising the respectful yet chilling reimagining of the source material.
- “This was terrifying. Demonic horror really scares me, and this was no exception.”
- “Awesome update of a classic Nightfall episode.”
- “Absolutely chilling.”
Warning: Contains explicit language and frightening situations.
Cast and Crew
From the audio play by Bill Gray.
Adapted by John Ballentine.
Directed and produced by Kevin Hartnell and John Ballentine.
Original music score by Kevin Hartnell.
The Cast:
- James Hicklin
- Rish Outfield
- Blythe Haynes
- Jack Kincaid
- Owen Bevan
- MJ Hartnell
- Joe Stofko
- Christina Alfieri
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