‘Chilling and superbly written’
There are few plays that dare to be as boldly experimental and haunting as Devil’s Point, a forty-five minute horror by Laura Milton. Utilising an unusual form of storytelling, shadow puppets, amidst eerie music and voiceover so subtle you can’t be sure at first if you’re just imagining it, Milton’s play is a masterpiece of technique and experimental theatre.
Both actors – Logan Rodgers playing Sean and Laura Milton herself playing Ailsa – were phenomenal, playing a young couple who had fallen out of love and yet had found themselves on an overnight hike to the infamous Devil’s Point. Through flashbacks, longing glances, reluctantly-given smiles and clever writing cues, the audience gathers the complicated feelings that still remain between the couple.
The audio was perfectly chosen, filling the small venue with a creeping sense of dread even through flashbacks to the couple’s happier moments. It also added to the unease, the inability for the audience to trust what they were seeing: what was real? Were they being tricked, led towards a false conclusion like the stories of several women throughout the play? To have the audience second-guessing their every step was a powerful technique that both actors and director played with brilliantly.
Overall, my only wish for this play was that it had been longer! Devil’s Point weaves together folklore, truth, and relationships in a way that feels expertly handled, exploring troubling and dark themes throughout its short span. Cutty Sark Theatre have done it again: creating a play that will stick with you any time you venture near Scotland’s natural landscapes.
Devil’s Point is at the Edinburgh Fringe between the 12th and the 16th August at thespace. Tickets are available here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/devil-s-point.