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Edred, the Vampyre

Old Red Lion Theatre

Reviewed – 29th October 2019

★★★½

“a deliciously gothic tale with a wonderfully entertaining main character”

Both the set design and the venue for Edred, the Vampyre could not be more fitting to its subject matter – from the church-like red-draped seating to the stark black and white tiles of the stage and its crimson curtains that are gleefully ripped aside by our protagonist during the opening scene. This is a production that certainly doesn’t shy away from spectacle. It skilfully melds humour and drama, drawing the audience in with a few wry jokes about Google and Wikipedia and then drip-feeding them more and more horror as the show goes on.

Entering the church serving as our eponymous vampire’s dusty abode are gap-year travellers Elizabeth (Zari Lewis) and Jacques (James Hoyles). Filled with a panicked mixture of fear and scepticism, they are surprised to find a vampire that debunks a life of coffins and avoiding the sunlight and instead adopts the debonair paternalism of a camp 18th century uncle as he attempts to explain his life and history. Lewis’ Elizabeth is most drawn to Edred, and she plays the role with a deft mix of adoration, terror, and uncertainty. Comparatively, Hoyles’ character is underused and given less emotional range, but successfully carries off many of the jokes of the first half, furiously swearing at Edred in several entertaining sequences.

The play itself is aptly named, for although it is the other characters that have their lives and emotions rent asunder during the hour-long running time, Edred (Martin Prest) still remains the star – glittering with inimitable flamboyance. His movements and musings are joyful and enchanting to watch, as he sets about helping the duo uncover their own mysterious troubles and night terrors through exploring his thousand-year past.

The stage is set and from there the action unfolds, drawing on every available trope in the gothic arsenal, whether it is the darkness within us all, the dangerous power of sexuality, or familial and historical legacies. Writer David Pinner has filled Edred’s chronicle of historical happenstances with many familiar cultural references, and a large nod to perhaps the original godfather of gothic: William Shakespeare and his blood-filled Macbeth. The directing (Anthony Shrubsall), along with Prest’s excellent lively performance, ensures that there is never a quiet moment and that each historical vignette is delivered with gusto.

The play’s descent into a purer horror and its sudden end may not chime well with all viewers – there is no neat tying up of loose ends, or gentle sweeping character arcs – but for a genre founded on the bedrock of surprise and, above all, drama, it serves the play fittingly. Much like the character of Edred, the play is more about the journey than the end result. Retrospectively, it is perhaps too easy to question why certain storylines were teased at, but the overall ominous atmosphere – carried off with ease by a marriage of set design (Alys Whitehead) and lighting and sound (Chuma Emembolu) – makes for a deliciously gothic tale with a wonderfully entertaining main character.

Reviewed by Vicky Richards

Edred, the Vampyre

Old Red Lion Theatre until 2nd November as part of London Horror Festival 2019

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Voices From Home | ★★★½ | November 2018

In Search Of Applause | ★★ | February 2019

Goodnight Mr Spindrift | ★★ | April 2019

Little Potatoes | ★★★ | April 2019

The Noises | ★★★★ | April 2019

Last Orders | ★★★ | October 2019

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★★

“Any subtlety is lost in the maze-like opacity of Restoration English”

You can easily see why Aphra Behn would be the subject for a new historical play: not only was she the first female writer in England to be paid her dues, she is also credited with having written the first novel (no, it was not ‘Robinson Crusoe’!) and, to top it off, she was gay. A young, professionally and sexually liberated woman in the seventeenth century- the ideal historiographic candidate.

However, much like her male counterpart Defoe, her writing is understandably dated and very hard to get through; you’re better off considering her achievements historically than actually delving in to her works. ‘Oranges and Ink’, Claire Louise Amias’ story of Aphra Behn and famous actress Nell Gwyn, unfortunately takes its style of story-telling from Ms Behn’s plays themselves. Any subtlety is lost in the maze-like opacity of Restoration English, as are most of the jokes, and the ones we understand are very ye-olde ‘bawdy’- not really for a modern audience.

Regardless, Sarah Lawrie (Nell Gwyn) shows a knack for comic acting, and whilst as I say, most of the jokes are lost, we at least know they’re being told – like watching a foreign comedy. Similarly, Claire Louise Amias (Aphra Behn) shines best in moments of emotional sincerity and it’s clear she would excel in a meatier role. If only she had written herself one.

William Summers’ musical arrangement, in keeping with the period (lots of lute and flute), is pleasant enough, and Alex Pearson’s direction sees both actors trying effusively to engage with the text, moving spiritedly around the stage and leaning in to the few moments that the audience might actually understand and enjoy.

It is a feat for a contemporary play to be written in the lexicon of the seventeenth century, but unfortunately Claire Louise Amias’ efforts are lost on a modern audience. All in all, the fair amount of talent in this production could certainly be put to better use.

Reviewed by Miriam Sallon

Photography by Bruce Wang