Stories in the Dark follows a 12-year-old protagonist named (often called Tom). The setting is a bleak, war-torn Eastern European city during a conflict that resembles the Bosnian War or WWII, though Oswald intentionally makes it timeless.

: From a technical perspective, the play is designed to be highly adaptable; it can be performed by a large ensemble of 60 or a small cast of 10, using elaborate prosthetics or simple "cardboard boxes" to represent its many fantasy creatures. Focus on the "Abandoned Child"

This is a gripping escape thriller. You worry about the rotten cabbage Thomas eats. You flinch at the footsteps on the stairs.