Sean Hayes blurs reality and obsession in eerie one-man play The Unknown
"I was (mostly) on the edge of my seat watching Emmy and Tony winner Sean Hayes in The Unknown," says Kyle Torrence
Starring Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor Sean Hayes, The Unknown by David Cale at New York’s Studio Seaview is available to watch for a limited run from 31 January through to 12 April 2026.
The psychological thriller on Off-Broadway follows Hayes’ character Elliot, looking to cure his writer’s block, heading to a remote cabin for some quiet time alone. However, when he arrives, he realises he may not actually be alone.
In a statement, Cale said: “I’m thrilled by the inspired pairing of the brilliant Sean Hayes with my solo thriller and to be collaborating again with the great Leigh Silverman.”
Tickets are available to order now via the Studio Seaview website.
I was (mostly) on the edge of my seat watching Emmy and Tony winner Sean Hayes in The Unknown, a 75-minute one-man thriller. From start to finish, Hayes was completely locked in, playing every character and moving seamlessly through conversations between people who were all portrayed by him. After seeing him in Good Night, Oscar, I’ve become such a fan of his extraordinary acting ability, and this role only deepened that admiration.
“We’re left unsettled, questioning who is more unhinged”
In The Unknown, a struggling New York writer is searching for his next inspiration when, in a frightening turn, he begins to believe he has a stalker. The alleged threat is an actor who once auditioned for him and wasn’t cast. As the stalker follows him, he begins to follow the stalker, blurring the lines of who is pursuing whom. We’re left unsettled, questioning who is more unhinged and, ultimately, whose story we’ve really been watching unfold.
Throughout the play, the stalker repeats the haunting line, “I wish you wanted me.” But as layers peel back, we discover the writer himself created this story while secretly in love with his best friend’s husband. Suddenly the question shifts. Who is stalking whom? Who is projecting desire onto whom? Who wants whom? The line echoes differently by the end, no longer just a threat but a confession.
“He travelled the full emotional spectrum with precision and control”
Hayes was wonderful. He travelled the full emotional spectrum with precision and control, yet never lost the rawness required for a psychological thriller. Beautifully directed by Leigh Silverman, the production finds the perfect rises and falls, shaping the tension with care. In a one-man show, that shaping is everything, and here it is handled masterfully.
The set transported me to an old black-and-white crime film, with inventive lighting by Cha See. I cycled through countless theories about what was really happening and I’ll leave you to your own interpretations as well. The writer and director were intentionally playing with our imaginations, and at times that ambiguity slightly distanced me. But Hayes’ acting and total commitment were undeniable. Even in those moments, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
In the end, whatever answers it withholds, The Unknown keeps you thinking long after the lights dim.
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