Studio One, Malvern – until 13th December 2023
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
5*****
An M.R. James ghost story at Christmas time? Perfect! Even better that it was another chance to experience live theatre at the wonderful Malvern Theatres, this time at the smallest of their venue spaces, Studio One.
“Oh, Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad” was first published in 1904 in James’s “Ghost Stories of an Antiquary” collection and is one of the author’s most celebrated tales. The story concerns a professor who, whilst on a golfing holiday in a fictional coastal village, finds a whistle which when blown brings forth more than he bargained for.
The set was inventively dressed with a bed and some cryptic looking sheets – what secrets did they hide? Stark in nature and perfectly pitched for this spooky work since it focused the attention on the solitary actor – Toby Burchell.
Toby commanded the stage in a riveting solo performance that was nothing less than compelling. It must be the hardest of acting jobs to be out there on your own, with no support and no-one to bounce off. If you forget a line you don’t have the backup of another actor to prompt you or for them to feed you your next line; you really have to know your material inside out and deliver it flawlessly. Toby did this with ease in a performance that was assured and confident. A most impressive feat – especially with such an intricately wordy script.
Toby used his physicality to great effect; for instance with a rather effective trip over some imaginary obstacle. I also loved his ability to seamlessly morph from one character to another very different one with just a subtle shift in posture, movement or vocal inflection!
A lot was made from the scant props: a suitcase to signify travel, a scarf to signify leaving his hotel room and of course the whistle itself. Just enough to convey the full flow of the story and keep the concentration on Toby’s performance. The use of lighting was also impressive – changing the mood from one location to another and conveying the time of day to great effect. But the most awe inspiring moment was when our protagonist was recounting a shadowy apparition whilst (with perfect timing) the lights shifted and Toby’s shadow was cast, large, on the rear wall. Sound effects were also used to push the drama along and set the scene, just like in all good horror films.
It was wonderful to see such a full house, everyone enjoying a free mince pie and glass of mulled wine after the show (the proceeds of which going towards a very good cause; the Malvern Theatres Tomorrow Campaign).
We are lucky to have such talented actors gracing the stage here at Malvern. If there is any justice, Toby is destined for stardom so I encourage everyone to catch him here in Malvern while you still have the chance! A triumph in every area and in every way and an enormously deserved “well done that man and everyone else involved in the production” from me. As Dickens continued popularity proves, everyone loves a seasonal ghost story and this was an exceptionally entertaining one that I have no hesitation in wholeheartedly recommending