★★★

“delightfully theatrical”

This ambitious M R James adaptation uses puppetry and carefully considered staging to build a spooky gothic tale.

It is densely plotted. Edward Dunning, a university lecturer, famously sceptical of the occult, comes afoul of a sinister mystical enthusiast, Mr Karswell. With the help of Rebecca Harrington, whose brother has already fallen prey to Karswell’s ominous wrath, Dunning must attempt to break away from Karswell’s curse.

Performed by Noel Byrne and Antonia Christophers and directed by Adam Lenson, this show is delightfully theatrical. Most of the characters are played by puppets, made by the company, and Karswell as a floating cloaked figure, is definitely sinister. It might’ve worked as well without some of the puppets, and with Christophers just multi-rolling, but the puppets do add a theatrical flavour.

“it is difficult to build the atmosphere needed for a true gothic thriller”

The staging is beautifully thought out. Street lamps are moved about to create different spaces, and switched on and off as the performers move under them. Screens are folded down into chairs and tables, and several trunks become chairs, tables, briefcases. It is a cleverly realised set, which works well for this touring company. It is impressive to build the world as clearly as they do, with as little as they use.

Composer Dan Melrose’s music is in keeping with the tone and themes, and the final piece is surprisingly catchy. The music and sound design which uses scratching and muttering to build tension, also help to create the intricate world of the play.

The problem is with the script, and the plot. There are a lot of characters, and tenuous motives, convenient encounters and it is all a little predictable. One especially credulous student, a puppet, provides wincingly expositional context throughout. I am fond of M R James, and have huge respect for this show for attempting to adapt his work, but it is difficult to build the atmosphere needed for a true gothic thriller, both in a theatre context, and in a modern context where much of it feels familiar and predictable.

This is a brave and theatrical production, and it is exciting to see puppetry for adults so smoothly integrated into the show.

ELEPHANT at the Bush Theatre

★★★★★

“Lucas’ script is beautiful. It is subtle and thoughtful and surprisingly funny.”

This urgent and compelling one woman show bursts onto stage with joy and with unapologetic nuance and complexity.

Writer and performer Anoushka Lucas combines live music and performance in a show which calls itself ‘part gig, part musical love story, part journey through empire’.

The play flickers between the late 1990s and late 2010s dipping into vignettes of protagonist Lilah’s life, which explore her relationship with music, race and class. These are interspersed with live songs played by Lucas on the slowly spinning piano in the centre of the stage.

Lucas’ script is beautiful. It is subtle and thoughtful and surprisingly funny. Through dissecting the historical origins of the piano and sorting through her own life, this character finds truths about the way she has been treated, and society’s tacit complicity in that. It is at once scorching social commentary and personal soul searching. The language, particularly in a motif about the butchery of elephants in the ivory trade, is startling and haunting.

“The music has a quiet lyrical beauty”

Director Jess Edwards, who also developed the piece with Lucas, makes consistently striking choices. The play is in the round, creating an intimate and conspiratorial tone. As well as creating light and shade through words and song, there are moments of physical theatre. While voiceover (by sound designed XANA) plays of Lilah’s auditions in the music industry, she morphs herself into forced shapes, using the piano as a tool to flatten herself ever further. Her extreme physicality underpins the harshness of the words.

As Lilah narrates her life she embodies her younger self, full of naive and confident enthusiasm, as well as her more reserved adult self, afraid of coming off as weird. It is a challenging performance, one which requires deft handling of emotional and physical shifts, and Lucas thrives in it.

The music has a quiet lyrical beauty. At times in comparison to the strength of the prose it leaves something to be desired. But it’s a beautiful way to break the narration and Lucas pours her soul into it.

Georgia Wilmot’s set design is masterful. The centre of the stage is a pit, with a piano and a small bookshelf. Lucas is able to clamber over these as well as play the piano. The pit itself slowly spins during the musical scenes, adding an ethereal beauty to the music.

The lighting design, by Laura Howard, is soft and pastel toned. Paper lampshades hang in the audience, glowing blue and pink, and flicker with the notes of the piano. There is a shimmering orb of coloured light which surrounds the pit, and pulsates in time with the music. It is rare to see lighting design that feels so fresh, and so exciting, while remaining tonally in keeping with the piece.

Elephant is a love story and a coming of age and a call to arms. It is a realisation of silencing and the power of speaking out. It is searing, and powerful, but strangely uplifting.

CASTING THE RUNES at the Pleasance Theatre

★★★

“delightfully theatrical”

“it is difficult to build the atmosphere needed for a true gothic thriller”

CASTING THE RUNES at the Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed on 20th October 2023

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by theatrical.solutions

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Casting the Runes

Casting the Runes

ELEPHANT at the Bush Theatre

★★★★★

“Lucas’ script is beautiful. It is subtle and thoughtful and surprisingly funny.”

“The music has a quiet lyrical beauty”