Manchester's theatrical arches (53Two) were the setting of an original ghost / horror story this evening. New and emerging company Switch_Mcr had obviously put much thought, love, and dedication into this evening's poresentation... it was slick, moody, clever, and yes, actually quite scary too!
Directed by co-writer Gabriel Clark, this three-hander was meant to set you at the edge of your seat, make you feel uneasy, and keep you in suspense throughout, and it did. The use of sound, lighting and other effects - especially haze and a clever but distinct odour of mustiness and death in the auditorium, which was kept quite cold even when the seats were filled and the show underway... clever! - helped enormously, giving the production a multi-sensory experience. Much thought had also gone into the composite set of a living room in disrepair, and this worked well too. If I had to be picky, then a couple of the sound effects were so loud that they drowned out the dialogue on stage momentarily, but that is nit-picking.
Where the production would benefit however is from an edit or two. Gabriel Clark and Andrew Long have created this new suspense drama, but, with the first half running at 85 minutes, this did tend to drag a little, and would certainly benfit from perhaps the input of someone not so closely related to the script to help. I am also uncertain about the whole story-telling with puppetry in the second act, as it was out of style with the rest of the directing, and as such didn't sit completely fully with me.
That being said however, the story was unique and compelling. [a couple of instances which, perhaps I missed, but didn't quite understand.. maybe they need signposting a tad more] and certainly kept us in a state of constant alert. I am absolutely not one for enjoying horror or ghost stories, and usually shy away from watching them {I have never seen any of the famous films of this genre and never want to!}, however I happily accepted all the effects in this production despite my nerves.
The three talented cast, Grainne Flynn, Niombizodwa Ndlovu, and Andrew Long all gave solid and realistic portrayals, and I enjoyed the dynamics between them immensely. Realistic, sympathetic, suspenseful, and even if, like me, you don't normally go in for this genre, this production will scare you...but you'll enjoy and appreciate the experience and the skill of those bringing it about.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 26.10.22
on - 26.10.22
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