Fog shrouded moors. Crumbling country mansions. Deserted docklands swathed in gloom. Yes, it doesn't get more gothic than this spine-tingling drama set in Edwardian England.
Based on a book by Susan Hill, the author who penned The Woman in Black, this new production is a tour-de-force of creeping terror and heart-stopping shocks. Very much in the literary vein of ghost story writer MR James, this is a play that will raise goose bumps. And if you wonder whether a stage play can scare you as much as a movie, the answer is a horrified, screaming yes!
The main protagonist is as much a riddle to himself as to the audience. He arrives in the East End, a labyrinth of skewered tenements and forbidding alleys. His goal is to research the life story of a long-dead explorer, only that quest soon becomes a journey of revelation. Every clue takes him a step nearer to discovering his own family background, as if somehow his identity is tied up to the fate of his hero. Only it turns out that this hero has feet, not so much of clay, as of mud from a freshly dug grave.
The story moves deeper into the bleak countryside of Northern England. A murder is revealed. Characters hint at unsettling secrets. Half-glimpsed figures stumble menacingly through shadows. The plot thickens like a Victorian pea-souper. Slowly, but surely, the fear factor mounts.
The Mist in the Mirror makes excellent use of scenery and effects to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Stylish and brooding imagery is projected onto the sets: think raging snowstorms, steam-chugging train journeys, and haunted passageways. Lighting is so low that most of the time we're in the dark. Sinister music and ghostly voices echo around the auditorium.
The cast is small and the actors double up in various roles. But the suspense is so razor sharp you hardly notice. Paul Warriner as the central protagonist evokes empathy from the audience and strikes the right balance between growing alarm and healthy scepticism. The supporting actors all turn in solid performances.
A success on all fronts, The Mist in the Mirror makes for an excellent night of frights. Towards the end there's a final 'boo' you will not see coming. Don't be surprised if you walk to home a little quicker than usual.
The Nottingham Playhouse presents The Mist in the Mirror from Tuesday 31 March to Saturday 4 April 2015.
Ian Douglas website
Nottingham Playhouse website
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