Can it already be a year? I think the first review I wrote last year was a positive appraisal of Stefan Taylor’s A Midnight Dreary, a clever and fun one-man adaptation of three classic and (one contemporary) horror stories in an intimate setting. Zesty and imaginative, it was a spooky ride with Taylor’s passion for the material making even the battered old The Raven seemed as fresh as any CGI fest. For me, it was a fringe highlight, and so here we are again, full circle, for more.
Night Terrors treads a similar path, this time finely directed by Ben McEwing, who has brought a discipline and sense of timing missing from last year’s show. But it is the master of macabre, Stefan Taylor’s virtuoso performance, that spins from far-out comedy to horror and even tragedy, all while using only the most minimal of props, that keeps the audience utterly spellbound.
A writer credited as one of the first to make horror monsters actually organic, H. P. Lovecraft’s The Beast in the Cave inhabits this what’s-lurking-in-the-shadows creeper. It starts with Taylor whispering through the audience with a torch, revealing himself slowly before rising to the stage – much like a zealous father telling a bedtime story to a child. The story follows an adventurer who becomes separated from his guide in an unnamed limestone cave and is stalked by something hideous. In a dimly lit stage, the mood is set perfectly, and it is impossible not to be bewitched. This was however, the most flawed of the four tales because I sense that, in editing down the tale to a manageable length, (Lovecraft was not known for brevity), much of the character set-up has been jettisoned. This doesn’t distract much and is a minor complaint.
The Wailing Well shows Taylor at his most amazing and transformative – seamlessly moving through multiple characters given strength by pitch-perfect comedic timing. The tale of a naughty scout leader who dares to venture to the forbidden well features some extreme characters that are for Taylor like meat to a tiger and he eats them up ravenously. His body contorts and every octave in his voice gets a work out as he swings from a yokel farmer, to dorky schoolboy to aristocrat with ease. The result is a joyous romp that turns into the inevitable horror, which Taylor again turns on a dime.
Perhaps one of the most innovative of the tales is the equally comic take on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart, a short story that has influenced everyone from Fyodor Dostoevsky to Stephen King. I know what you’re thinking – is comic really the right word to describe a tale about a servant who kills his master because of his ‘vulture eye’? In this instance, definitely yes: Taylor and McEwing’s choice to play so far against tone of the piece adds many dimensions and inspired moments to the performance, that you have to laugh. When the line ‘Why will you say that I’m mad?’ is delivered with such a gleeful smile, it is too hard to resist. Even as the narrator dismembers the freshly murdered corpse, it’s all played with such lightness that it’s like Stewie Griffin just got busted for finally killing Lois. But as the guilt sets in and the hallucinations manifest, the production milks its Poe-esque turn for all it is worth.
For those that saw A Midnight Dreary, a revised version of The House of the Lake has made its way back into the show. Edited slightly and a finer performance, this blackly funny poem is just as much fun this time around, as Taylor distorts his face and sticks out his tongue like a possessed Maori dancer to become the monster that stalks a young boy under the bed. Like the others, it is hilarious, scary and tragic and is a nice contrast to the language-rich texts that precede it. It’s a great way to end the night.
Technically the show is tight, with Billy Tankard’s incredible sound design standing out with, pardon the pun, haunting layers of drips, feedback and music. Lighting is sparse and moody, dominated by intense reds and blues. All in all, it is an excellent exercise in minimalism, embracing the DIY spirit of the Fringe.
My only quibble is the venue – stuffy, chaotic and sometimes noisy. Why isn’t something this good playing in a bigger theatre? It deserves a wider audience and it’s real virtue is that it injects life into the antiquated tales so they are accessible, just ask the audience in the row in front of me who lapped it up the whole time.
It’s a better ride than any modern jump-scare fest we’ve become accustomed to. No tricks, just old-fashioned storytelling done beautifully. For a creepy night, don’t go to the multiplex, give the dvd/blu-ray/iphone/etc. a rest and check this out instead. No night is complete without a touch of terror!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Night Terrors
Devised and performed by Stefan Taylor
Directed by Ben McEwing
Produced by Simon J. Green
Club Voltaire, North Melbourne
www.melbournefringefestival.com.au
28 September
