A powerful and poignant example of hope and activism that moves beyond age or demographic.
Produced collaboratively by Fuel, Imaginate, Northern Stage and the National Theatre of Scotland, Hannah Lavery’s Protest took to the Traverse Theatre for a two day run. Playful, emotional, and full of youthful depth, the audience was left energized and empowered by the three performer’s energy and passion. In just one hour Jade, Alice, and Chloe brilliantly showcase the lived experience of girlhood as the illusion of fairness is shattered that very first time. A more presentational show, the three in turn share with the audience their primary school experiences of injustice, racism, and fear for our planet. As their worlds move from shades of black and white to grey, we hear how the grownups in their lives encourage their strength and resilience to move towards effective action regardless of scale.
This whimsical show takes place on a striking and fantastical playset—expertly juxtaposing the seriousness of the topic—with brilliant physical levels designed by Amy Jane Cook. This playset is used in every manner imaginable through the hour’s performance through the expert direction of Nadia Iftkhar. The movement served as a great palate cleanse to the harder emotional moments of the piece allowing both actors and audience a moment to “shake it all off” and continue with the narrative. In terms of the writing itself, Hannah Lavery perfectly captures the innocence and rationale of young people without discrediting their own brilliance and power. Her ability to seamlessly intertwine the three narratives clearly demonstrates an understanding of that haunting heartbreak in learning that the world is not fair, but how we respond to it is in our control. All of this, paired with the clear direction from Natalie Ibu and Natasha Haws, made for a remarkable viewing experience.
This emotional and interactive piece could have fallen into the presentational trap, and yet it did not. The performers were incredibly believable and engaging even in their moments of silence. The audience was treated to a conversation with three young people recounting their experiences in that uniquely youthful way where tragedy and comedy and everything in between are made all the more heartbreaking and beautiful knowing these were new experiences for them. This piece was a welcome reminder for all ages to turn to kindness and hope in the face of adversity. We laughed, we cried, we were enthralled by these three young people and their ability to commit so fully to standing up for themselves and a better present and future.
Funny and powerful, with some imperfections that should be ironed out.
*review contains some spoilers for the plot*
The Cherry Orchard is Chekov’s last play and was performed by An Exciting New, directed by Harry Brook. Chekov described it as a comedy, and it certainly had some incredibly funny moments, while depicting the shift in the classes of society. The central focus of the play is Lyubov, the aristocratic landowner who is having to sell her family land, and home, in order to pay the mortgage – she refuses to consider options of splitting the land off and letting pieces, and so has to put it all up for auction. The titular cherry orchard holds great importance in her memories so she cannot conceive of it being felled while she owns it. Lyubov was played by Ilse-Lee van Niekerk with remarkable skill and care; Lyubov is a complex character with a great deal of fracturing emotions and van Niekerk managed to get this across with empathy and realism.
Other particularly stand-out characters, and their actors, included Gaev, Lyubov’s brother, played by Cosimo Asvisio, and Firs, and elderly manservant, played by Joe Rachman. Both Asvisio and Rachman played their roles with total commitment that allowed the eccentricities of their parts to feel authentic rather than the punchline of a joke. While some of Firs’ aging eccentricities are sometimes part of the comedy they are never treated as such by Rachman, who played the part with remarkable consideration. This commitment to the role by all three allowed the audience to sympathise with these figures in their loss, and complete devastation, particularly in the final part of Act 2.
Act 2 sees the sale of the Lyubov’s land, and home, to wealthy Lopakhin who’s family come from the lower classes. This revelation breaks the final resolve of Lyubov, and as van Niekerk collapses to the floor, shaking with sobs, the rest of the cast deconstructs the set around her. This begins with Jules Upson, who plays Lopakhin, taking a painting from one of the walls – as he moves it, the audience can see that it depicts cherry blossom trees. This was a fantastic choice! As the rest of the cast deconstruct the stage, van Niekerk crosses the stage multiple times in great distress and confusion – clearly depicting the loss and anxiety of her character as everything she’s ever known gets ripped from her. The walls of set get pushed back and turned around, until the stage has very little resemblance to the warm, and lavish, home with bookcases that are 100 years old that everybody had been used to. The choice to have the cast members do this, rather than members of crew, allowed the audience to feel some level association with the characters and the loss of land; some of them added to the cause, and others failed to help successfully. Ultimately – Russian society, which all the characters are part of, was responsible for the shift and therefore the loss.
As van Niekerk moves on and off stage, she begins to shed some of her costume, until she is left with messy hair and just her undergarments. Asvisio’s Gaev is also left in only his green coat and underwear. Other members of the cast spend the rest of the play in modern looking clothes, including jeans and shoes resembling Doc Martins, while this suits some of the characters (Will Shakleton’s Yasha, for example), it is not obvious why other cast members are dressed so far out of the era. This “out of place” character clothing choices began earlier in Act 2, with one incident at the ball – Rosie Mahendra’s Anya is dressed in a very slinky slip dress, and her hair is down, for no obvious reason. Nobody comments on the outfit, or the stark contrast to all the other women’s dresses. If they had done so, it could have been used as a choice to mark her out as different and easily adjusting to the modernising times, and those refusing to adjust looking down on her as a woman with looser morals perhaps. However, as this was not done, it just seemed like a misstep in the costuming, that actually lessened the effect of seeing characters like Shakleton’s Yasha in modern clothes in the next scenes.
The only other critique I have of the performance was the extended pauses…that went on far too long. During some dramatic moments in the final part of the show, dramatic pauses are utilised far beyond their ability for effect. There is a pause when van Niekerk is sat in a chair, staring out at the audience over stumps that are used to represent the future of the orchard. She is surrounded by the rest of the cast who are all muttering quietly as they stare at, or through, her, while music also plays in the background. It is a gorgeous, and pivotal, moment of the play that truly got across the loss Lyubov is feeling, and the state of her mental health. However, it goes on far too long. Not only do we wait for the music to finish (which alone would be fine), we also wait and watch while it is only the cast muttering, for a considerable length of time. To the point that I was sat wondering if they had potentially missed a cue or were wating for one that was supposed to come, or that I was supposed to be able to pick up on what the cast were saying. If it was the latter, I could not. This moment was set up so well that if the lights had flipped to black and the cast had set up for bows, I would not have been surprised, or upset, but instead…the audience waited, and eventually the play continued. The excessive length of this moment ruined the emotional effect a little.
The final moments of the play belong, exquisitely, to Rachman – after everybody has left the stage (and theatre!) via the back door in the stage, Rachman makes himself known to the audience. We had been led to believe Firs had been taken to hospital, but instead he had been accidentally left behind. We watch his panic, his continued concern that Gaev is probably wearing the wrong coat (he is), and his decent into such distress that he falls off the chair onto the floor. Rachman continues to push out the final broken lines, until he stills in the lonely darkness on stage and silence falls. This moment creates such pure empathy for this long-serving family servant that I actually muttered my concern under my breath. However, the silence continues, and continues…until members of the audience came to their own conclusion and began applauding. This was a problem because, while this was the end of the play, some people may have missed the chainsaw sound effect that signalled the felling on the cherry orchard and the family connection to the land, and the actual conclusion of the play. If instead of waiting for the cast to make their way back to the stage doors (which is what it felt like was happening), they left Rachman visible on stage for less time, faded to black and cued the chainsaw in the blackness, the audience would have happily waited in darkness for the bows. As it stood, we were waiting for something else to happen, as it had earlier, and it felt less emotionally effective than it should have.
Beyond those critiques, the play was wonderfully performed, if occasionally lacking in sexual and emotional tension between some characters, the costumes were gorgeous, and the set design was beautiful and clever. Using ties to create texture on the backdrop for the outside location were an interesting choice that worked very well. The use of the front of the stage during the changing of scenes was fun and kept the audience engaged. I laughed a lot, and found the performance powerful, it was a good way to spend the evening.
We enjoyed sitting down with Ruby Carr, Funny Women Comedy Writing Award winner in 2022, to talk about her upcoming show at the Soho Rising Festival in February 2024.
1. How have you found being part of the Soho Rising Festival and the various programmes Soho Theatre offers for artists creating new work?
I felt so honoured to be picked to be a part of Soho Rising 2024. The cohort this year is amazing and I feel privileged to be amongst them! The support and guidance from Soho Theatre has been wonderful and I am looking forward to being able to bring my show to such a respected venue.
I participated in Soho Theatre’s Sketch Lab. I picked this course because I was looking to expand my performance skills and challenge myself with something new. It was the best choice – I was with a brilliant group who made me laugh so much. I felt so supported and together we made something amazing. I highly recommend Soho Theatre Labs!
2. How did you come up with the idea of delving into the world of eBay – what inspired you to explore the weird and wonderful aspects of this online marketplace?
I have been an eBay fan and a frugal queen for a very long time. I fit the stereotype of a poor artist very well. I am someone who will deeply examine every purchase I make, making sure I get the best deal and quality. It has become a running joke with my friends that if you compliment me about an item of clothing, it is pretty good odds I will say that I got it for 99p from eBay.
Because of that, I have been scouring the far corners of eBay for YEARS and then showing my friends weird eBay auctions I find in the deep recesses of the site.
Sometimes sellers will share unnecessary photos or go hard in the description. Not everyone is a salesman, but they are all storytellers. Then one day someone said “Why isn’t this a show?”
3. Any sneak peeks you can share with us as to what eBay subcultures we might expect to discover?
It’s hard to gauge what people would find weird to be selling on eBay because I’m never sure what people’s base level is.
Some people would only think of buying phones on eBay.
Some people clothes.
Some people unconfirmed used napkins by celebrities.
People sell everything on eBay.
During lockdowns, lots of people got into art and sold their fever dream lockdown pieces on eBay. I found one guy selling his DIY survival gear, and the description made it sound like he was going to hunt you down. I found brothers selling their older sister’s belongings. I found people selling water from a closed-down log flume ride at Disney.
At a recent show, I performed this bit at the start about hypothetically buying multiple lizard enclosures. And a lady came up to me at the end and said she is the person buying multiple lizard enclosures, because she needed them to store bats! She then told me about the bidding battle between ecologists for those lizard enclosures. It was amazing, and it made me realise that “normal” on eBay and in the real world, really doesn’t exist. It’s all relative and everyone’s idea of “normal” is different.
4. How do you navigate the balance between humour and genuine fascination when presenting the eccentricities of eBay subcultures?
This is something I have worked very hard on! In an early version of the show, audience members would unprompted raise their hands to ask questions and it turned more into a documentary than a stand-up show. I love that my audience has always been as hooked and fascinated by the things I have found as me.
The show is fundamentally about how people are selling and why that is important to me.
The reason I get so caught up in these auctions is because they are also selling a little part of their life. As a performer and storyteller, I love seeing new ways of telling stories and more importantly, new ways of marketing (come to my show please!).
A heart-wrenchingly honest tale of queer identities and self-acceptance.
Northanger Abbey is a truly breathtaking delight. Zoe Cooper’s interpretation of Jane Austen’s maiden novel takes a comedic approach to a gripping journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance. A coming-of-age story in the form of a gothic satire, this queer reimagining provides the plot and characters with greatly needed depth. It is a beautifully poignant tale of identity, love, and acceptance.
A simple set and brilliant lighting design effectively portrayed the various settings and events of the story. Matt Haskins’ lights were perfectly suited to each scene; it is in the portion of the story which occurs at Northanger Abbey that they were most impressive in creating a gothic atmosphere straight off the pages of a Brontë novel. The costumes were pretty and a few well-chosen pieces made identifying the characters in all their various roles very simple. Movement director Jonnie Riordan impressed with the fun and effectiveness of their choreography and staging. Sound designer Holly Khan completed the audiences’ immersive experience with a soundtrack excellently suited to each dramatic or comedic moment.
The cast of this performance was small and exceptional. Each actor was able to effortlessly flit between comedic and dramatic moments, taking the audience on an emotional rollercoaster. Rebecca Banatvala delighted in the role of Cath. She faultlessly displayed the overeager curiosity of Cath as she comes of age and begins to know of the world; Banatvala infused her character with a passion, self-determination, and fierceness that was lacking at times in the original story. AK Golding delivered an unexpectedly moving performance as Iz. Golding spoke some of the most poignant lines of the show and also many of the funniest, all of which were given with wonderful energy and passion. The development of the relationship between Cath and Iz, and its eventual downfall, was captivating made all the more so by the electric chemistry between Banatvala and Golding. While each actor excelled, it was Sam Newton in the role of Hen whom I found most impressive. Each actor wore multiple hats in this show but Newton wore more than any other and amazed with a genteel, sometimes awkward, charm in each role. Newton’s performance purely as Hen was rather beautiful; Hen’s character felt like a close friend or somewhere safe and warm, he was comforting. Best of all was the relationship between Cath and Hen which was not one of romance but of friendship where two souls, struggling with lost love and loneliness, are able to take refuge in each other.
Northanger Abbey is a simple tale of coming of age wrapped up as a gothic satire which Cooper has taken a step further, turning it into a tale of lost love and true self-acceptance. It is a story about the mistakes we make as we learn who we are and how we come to live with them. It keeps the audience on their toes, wondering whether they will be doubled-over laughing or holding back tears for the heroine? If you are seeking a show that will make you laugh and maybe make you cry, then I cannot more highly recommend Zoe Cooper’s Northanger Abbey.
Brilliantly written, faultlessly performed: Zoe Cooper’s Northanger Abbey is a triumph of emotion.
Edinburgh University Footlights presents the classical musical ‘Guys and Dolls’ at the Pleasance Theatre from the 13th to 17th of February at 7:30 and a 2:30 matinee on Saturday the 17th!
After a very successful run of last year’s term-time show ‘Bring It On’, Edinburgh University Footlights returns to Pleasance Theatre with the all-time classic ‘Guys and Dolls’.
Edinburgh University Footlights is one of the largest university musical theatre companies in Scotland. They are completely student-run and self-funded, with both home-grown and international members. Many of their alumni have moved onto professional careers in theatre. The company always strives to provide exciting creative opportunities for all of their members.
Edinburgh University Footlights’ production of the classic musical ‘Guys and Dolls’ dives into the vibrant world of Damon Runyon’s New York City. Nathan Detroit, a small-time gambler, is on a mission to find the perfect spot for his legendary craps game. That’s where a bet with the smooth Sky Masterson comes in. Sky’s challenge? To sweep Sarah Brown, a strait-laced missionary, off her feet for a dinner date in bustling Havana. And let’s not forget Nathan’s longtime fiancée, Adelaide, a nightclub singer who’s more than ready for commitment.
With unforgettable tunes like “Luck Be a Lady” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” previous works of this show have won five Tony Awards and even a Pulitzer Prize. The entirely student-produced show has an incredibly talented cast crew. ‘Guys and Dolls’ will not be one to miss in Edinburgh this February!
A dark-tragi-comedy that will definitely leave you wanting to talk about it.
Rita Lynn is a one woman show written by and starring Louise Marwood, and tells the story of Imogen Wood. An ex-dancer addicted to drugs who finds herself unexpectedly acting as a life coach, while her own life is falling apart. We meet an array of other characters via voice over, such as the drag queen best friend, and the sleazy drug dealing boyfriend with a young son that Imogen bonds strongly with.
Louise is the sole writer and sole on-stage performer, so this entire production entirely rests on her talent as an actress and a playwright. Thankfully this show proves that she is very adept at both. She transitions expertly from tragi-comedy through to straight tragedy and back again with ease and her performance remains engaging throughout. There were some solid jokes that were delivered well, but my favourite line of the whole show was “I’m aging faster than I can lower my standards”. Honestly, I want that line printed on mugs, t-shirts, everything. Standout lines like this punctuate the show throughout, and it is quite a fast show that packs a lot into its 60 minute run time. There would be a temptation, especially with a show about a cocaine addict, to have everything moving at a million miles an hour, but this show has well thought out peaks and valleys which makes the time fly by.
An unfortunate aspect of the performance that I saw however, was the audio issues. This is a very tech heavy show, with lots of voice over that needs to come in quickly in succession, and sadly this was not always as seamless as you would have liked. With a bit more rehearsal and more performances, I expect these issues to disappear and for this to be the slick show that it is written to be.
The set for this show was really interesting, with the stage sectioned off into 4 quadrants with lines of white powder. This gave the audience a good visual clue as to where the action was taking place, depending on which quadrant Imogen was in, but the most interesting aspect was how the set changed throughout the show. The lines of white powder slowly get smudged and made messier as Louise moves throughout the stage. By the end, the neat lines are interrupted, and Imogen is partially covered in white powder. I would have liked to have seen this explored even more as the character of Imogen degrades more and more, the set could degrade more with her. This was a clever device and an innovative set that I think could have gone even further and been even more impactful.
The show puts a big emphasis on the life coach aspect of this show in its marketing, when really, I think this was a less consequential and less prominent aspect of this show than you might expect. That does not take away from the fact that this is a very entertaining 60 minutes and a show that I definitely recommend, assuming that depictions and discussions of drug use and suicide are not triggering for you. That warning does make this show sound incredibly dark and heavy, and while there are definitely moments of that, I would definitely describe this as a dark-tragi-comedy that will definitely leave you wanting to talk about it.
Rita Lynn played at the Turbine Theatre from 23rd – 27th January.
H.G. Wells’ masterpiece has been stripped of its seriousness and given a comedy makeover by a star-studded and talented cast
Starring in The Time Machine is Michael Dylan (Wilf), George Kemp (Jack Absolute Flies Again) and Amy Revelle (Offside). In the first half of the play, the three are we are rehearsing the importance of being earnest by Oscar Wilde. But George has other ideas for their performance. Claiming to be the great great grandson of H.G. Wells – with some questionable evidence, he switches the play to a re-creation of H.G. Wells The Time Machine. I have to admit I was a little confused in the beginning and wondered what I was watching. George’s inability to craft a play even under life-threatening circumstances contributes to this situation. Additionally, it appears his great-great-grandfather possessed genuine time-traveling abilities—a skill George manages to figure out as well. Consequently, the stage is now ready for the second half. I felt like the show took a while to get started in the first half, but still some funny moments a standout being a time traveling Meghan Markle, exaggerated American accident and all, explaining the long winded science behind time travel. Not forgetting the renditions of Kermit The Frog and Miss Piggy, all in their attempt to hilariously explain the ‘time paradox’ to the audience. I can’t say I definitely understood the time paradox; but I certainly laughed.
The second half is where I truly feel like this show comes into its own. From the outset the energy is higher and the play has largely been abandoned. Amy took the helm in the second half, telling George in no uncertain terms to f#ck off which I think we all agreed with. The audience are dragged up, willing or not, to help make Micheal’s last moments special (before his inevitable death caused by something to do with the time travel paradox). The second half is much more dynamic, with a lot of improv that just all worked.
It was truly bizarre and in the best way. Micheal is particularly funny, getting laughs even without lines. He not only performs an Irish jig but also delivers a captivating soliloquy from “Withnail and I” which changes the pace & reminds us these are not just funny actors. Amy has a chaotic loud energy, bringing the fun with her love of Cher breaking into song at any opportunity. The three bounce off each other very well and the silly idiotic humour was a lot of fun to watch.
Reading a summary of the book afterwards, I realised it didn’t matter that I hadn’t read the book before because it’s completely different & it’s supposed to be. I liked the escape of the show and just having a good laugh. I came straight from my office and I needed a laugh. The show was a lot of fun, and the cast never let the energy drop. I came away from it feeling a little confused but mostly amused.
The history re-told comedy-musical that continues to set the West End alight
Starting out at Edinburgh Fringe, written by Cambridge peers Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Six has grown to become a global phenomenon, currently showing on Broadway, and Toronto, and tours of the UK, the US, and Europe, and Australia. A recent change of line up for the ‘Queendom’, as they refer to themselves, puts Six on its fifth West End cast.
The life of King Henry VIII and his six wives has been covered across classrooms, history books, and the performing arts countless times over centuries. Six sets out with its banners of Modern Feminism to reclaim the stories of those Queens back from the narratives written by the men who treated them like chess pieces all those years ago.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that being in an on-stage history lesson and dedicating itself to a righteous cause, Six might be a high brow intellectual watch. While it does a good job of giving us a different view down a well trodden path, it’s the script, songs, set and costume that make it a truly fun show.
We start with Six Queens introducing themselves, and why we’re here. They playfully address the audience in the manner musicians would address their fans in the crowd to declare that tonight, united together in pop purgatory, they’re going to decide once and for all: ‘Which one of us had it the worst?’ The dynamic between the Queens on stage is reminiscent of rival siblings, they tease and bicker with each other to provide a light hearted atmosphere with well timed gags that offer consistent, gentle laughs.
Each of the Queens is given a distinct personality, and this is reflected well in the casting – the actors all play their parts exceptionally well, and are inseparable in quality of performance. The show avoids falling into the trap of retelling the same story six times with slightly modified endings. A springboard to this is that each of the six are shrewdly based on a modern female pop star. As each Queen takes centre stage to lead a number that serves as the post-mortem of their life, the performances feel unique, and their stories feel like theirs alone. It’s hard to single out a song or performance, they do all combine to become greater than the sum of their parts, but as I write this I can’t get Thao Therese Nguyen’s Anne Boleyn number ‘Don’t Lose Ur Head’ out of my mind, which takes Avril Lavigne chords and tempo and blends them with Lily Allen style lyrics.
Six tries to do lots of things at once, it balances being informative, empowering, funny, and playful. It does all of these things well, all without ever taking itself too seriously. It doesn’t swerve necessary historical context to what it deems significant developments in its characters lives. You will be introduced to people you’ve never heard of through stories in songs, because these people are important to the lives of our Queens. But it chooses to not dedicate itself too deeply to serious rhetoric or debate, which may have made for a compelling story, but could easily have detracted from the humour or made the script feel more laboured. The goal of Six is for the audience to have a good time, and it achieves that very well.
Sergio Blanco and Daniel Goldman return to the Arcola Theatre, after the success of their critically acclaimed OFFIE award winning productions of Thebes Land and The Rage of Narcissus, to tell a mesmerising story of love and lust beyond the grave.
When You Pass Over My Tomb is from one of the world’s most performed living Spanish-language playwrights is a darkly comic meditation on how we live and how we die; the story of a writer who makes the incredible decision to give his body another life after death.
Charlie MacGechan ( The World Will Tremble, A Bad Day At The Office, Pennyworth (HBO, Warner Brothers)) stars in When You Pass Over My Tomb, showing at Arcola Theatre from 7th February – 2 March. Buy tickets here!
What’s When You Pass Over My Tomb about?
It’s a love story I can guarantee you’ve never seen before. It’s beautifully written, and it explores assisted suicide, great works of literature, consent, masculinities, and necrophilia. It sounds like a comedy, doesn’t it!? The crazy thing is that even though this is an incredibly intellectual play, it’s very funny and full of warmth.
Who do you play?
Sergio Blanco has written this as a piece of auto-fiction, so I play myself as The Ghost of Charlie, and Khaled, an Irani medievalist who is into swords, gothic book-hand, and digging up graves.
How is preparing for this show different to other productions you have been involved in?
I believe Sergio is one of the best playwrights of our time. I have never worked on anything remotely like this in my life. The other writers who I can think of who comes close to this kind of writing is Pinter or Ridley, every word in this play is doing exactly what it has to do. It’s an incredible gift, as an actor, to work on a play so complex with such an incredible director in Daniel Goldman. I can honestly say that this play is the ‘gift that keeps on giving’.
To prepare I’ve had to research the history of Iran, medieval weaponry, the psychology of necrophilia and Frankenstein. I’ve had to do more research than ever before, and at the same time, let go of all that, to be present in the scene as Khaled and myself.
Do you have any favourite moments in the play?
Originating these characters with my fellow cast-members Danny Schienmann and Al Nedjari has been incredible – they are so talented. The moments I love most are when we merge our personal truths, with Sergio’s fiction. That and switching between characters sometimes even within the same line which is thrilling. It keeps us all on our toes.
How did you get into acting?
My late mother would take me to see the local plays most weeks from a very early age. I was always fascinated with how theatre can spark discussion and move society forwards.
What would you say to someone considering coming to see this production?
I have never seen or read anything like this play in my life. It’s a breath of fresh air, in the sense that it has to be the least commercial piece of theatre I’ve ever encountered. It’s wonderfully layered and unapologetic in what it’s saying. This is original, challenging, enigmatic theatre. It’s mind blowing!
A lacklustre attempt to blend supernatural, thriller, and horror elements
While the landscape of theatre productions traditionally adheres to more conventional genres, there are sporadic attempts to break the mould by fusing elements of the supernatural, thriller, and horror to create an unsettling experience for audiences. Murder in the Dark ventured into this unconventional territory, yet its endeavour was marred by the shortcomings of a predictable and formulaic script. The disappointment became palpable early in the second act as my friend and I effortlessly unraveled the plot.
The show’s reliance on 70s horror tropes, explicit references to Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap,” an overt homage to Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” and nods to slasher movies collectively contributed to a sense of staleness, reminiscent of a poorly assembled episode of “Black Mirror.”
The execution of horror elements proved lackluster, with underwhelming costumes, effects, and predictably timed jump scares, diluting the intended thrill. The central character’s pursuit of a “bubble of reputation” following betrayal lacked the emotional depth required for resonance. Although the supporting cast portrayed wronged characters with precision and emotional depth, the production struggled to establish a meaningful emotional core, despite Tom Chambers’ commendable performance.
Torben Betts’ script suffered from a dearth of meaningful dialogue, falling short in fully engaging the audience. The devil, in this case, resided in the details, as dialogues often felt like mere perfunctory nods to normal interactions.
In conclusion, Murder in the Dark stumbled in its attempt to seamlessly blend supernatural, thriller, and horror elements, primarily due to a lacklustre script, reliance on unoriginal references, and a noticeable deficiency in emotional resonance. Without delving into specifics about the play’s content, it becomes apparent that a more fitting title for the show might have been “Manslaughter in the Dark.”
