Shock Horror (touring) ★★★★

From the ominous moment a white screen slowly rises to reveal the abandoned Metropol cinema, Shock Horror: A Ghost Story creates an unrelenting sense of tension that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the performance and sleeping with the light on for the rest of the week.

The play follows Herbert as he recounts his life growing up in The Metropol cinema, his obsession with horror movies, his family dysfunctions and his disturbing relationship with the now derelict picture house and the spirits that dwell within.

Creating cinematic horror on stage is a hard task; one many have attempted but few have succeeded in achieving. But through a mix of deafening silence and vivid storytelling, Shock Horror manages to conjure a real sense of fear and tension. This is in no small part down to the rich, descriptive storytelling on offer throughout Ryan Simons’ script, adeptly and confidently delivered by Alex Moran, who occupies the stage for the entire duration of the show. Moran has a magnetic stage presence, balancing both the childish nature of the character with a quiet undercurrent of mental instability.

The performance is complemented perfectly by the chilling sound design. Unsettling drones and hums lead to startling jump scares as the first act ramps up the horror scene by scene.

Unfortunately, the narrative feels a little more muddled in the second act. Some focus in the writing is lost as the production moves away from imagined dangers in favour of more literal thrills and imagery. This is undoubtedly what the audience is craving, but there are moments where suspense is replaced by comedy. It’s unclear if this is an intentional decision or a byproduct of some of the more hokey visuals. Either way, it undermines a lot of the previously built-up tension the production relies on.

Although, for the most part, it takes the form of a one-man show, Shock Horror utilises multimedia, puppetry and illusion to bring to life the various characters within the story. Designer Ethan Cheek‘ set is an effective and evocative recreation of a decaying old cinema. A central screen is the main focus and provides video recordings to supplement the main performance with the other characters of the world he inhabits. An intriguing feature of the screen is its ability to become transparent, revealing shadowed scenes behind. Although this adds interest to the static setup, it’s often underutilised and could be used to much better effect, especially when it comes to the various apparitions that appear on stage throughout the production.

It’s a love letter to horror movies that at times gets diluted by its determination to one-up itself instead of trusting the audience to imagine the horror for themselves. All in all, Shock Horror is an entertaining, albeit inconsistent, evening at the theatre. The tension builds, the scares keep coming and the audience remain on the edge of their seats.