Churchill Theatre, Bromley – until Saturday 30 September 2023
Reviewed by Elizabeth Smith
4****
I am not a fan of horror movies and haven’t watched one for decades, they scare me! So on
reading the synopsis of Shock Horror I wasn’t looking forward to the play. Well, how wrong could I be.
Set in the derelict Metropole cinema the scene is set for a terrifying tale of a dysfunctional family and the inevitable outcome for a young boy who grew up in this unsettling situation.
Herbert, Alex Moran, is closeted in a decaying building with a father, Joseph Carter, who is
obsessed with horror films and a mother, Chloe Proctor, who is struggling with reality. The only relatively sane influence is a priest, Chris Blackwood, his Mother introduces to exorcise the venue of the evil she sees at every angle.
Herbert is locked away from the real world and explores the cinema via the walls to watch the tales of murder and mayhem unfold when he should be alone in bed. The priest suggests he be sent away to school but his parents are opposed to his leaving. So the darkness in the walls becomes his only play mate.
We watch the horror of his upbringing come to light when he returns to the cinema as an adult to finish his tale of what went on.
With references, including props from many unforgettable horror films, a musical score that has you sat on the edge of your seat from the opening bars, to the sound of voices and movement all around you it is truly a tense immersive experience not to be missed.
With four outstanding performances I must congratulate Alex Moran on his energy as he carries the play as if performing a monologue. The chilling screams from Chloe Proctor have the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Joseph Carter conveys his fleeting concerns for Herbert with empathy and disregard in equal measures. Chris Blackwood performs, as would be expected from a horror film, a creepy priest who’s intentions seem questionable.
For the whole performance you are suspended in a tense arena waiting for the next unsettling thing to occur. Thanks to the sound design of Beth Duke, composer Ben Parsons and lighting design by Joe Price and illusions form John Bulleid and Sam Upton.
If you are a horror buff and a fan of feeling unsettled this is the show for you