Acid Bath Murderer returns to Crawley

Published: 8 September 2013
Reporter: Sheila Connor

Nigel Fairs as Haigh

A play investigating the mind of Crawley's notorious murderer John George Haigh, In Converstion with an Acid Bath Murderer, comes to The Hawth, Crawley on Saturday 5 October.

Haigh, a 40's 'spiv', murdered at least six people and disposed of their bodies in acid in his Crawley Workshop. Dubbed 'the Vampire killer' (Haigh claimed to have drunk his victims' blood), he was hanged in 1949, but not before he told his story to a frenzied media and was immortalised in Madame Tussauds, where his waxwork, wearing Haigh's genuine suit, remains.

The award-winning play begins in Haigh's Crawley workshop and progresses to the hangman's cell. For the first 20 minutes of the play, it's hard to believe John Haigh could be a murderer. It's only when he pulls a gun on one of his victims that the audience is introduced to the true monster.

Witnesses who survived Haigh's friendship say they were mesmerised by him. Even his fiancèe never suspected he was a killer.

Nigel Fairs, who wrote the play, stars as Haigh with Suzanne Proctor portraying some of his victims. The production is directed by Louise Jameson.

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