Home / Arts and Entertainment / Arcola's 'Ghost Story' Dazzles with Scares, Stumbles on Cleverness
Arcola's 'Ghost Story' Dazzles with Scares, Stumbles on Cleverness
20 Sep
Summary
- Adaptation adds jump scares and a framing device to Henry James' ghost story.
- Cleverness in storytelling sometimes hampers the buildup of dread and tension.
- Stylized production features inventive set design and unsettling child performances.
Arcola Theatre presents an adaptation of Henry James' classic ghost story, reimagined with modern jump scares and an innovative framing device by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm. The production, directed by Nicky Allpress, boasts slick stylization and jagged sound design, effectively delivering shocking moments. However, the adaptation's own cleverness, including a temporal fragmentation and an interrogative framing narrative, occasionally hinders the build-up of dread.
The narrative follows a governess caring for two seemingly angelic children who she believes are possessed, a tale framed by an unnamed interrogator casting doubt on her sanity. The set design is elegantly gothic, with screens used inventively to bring characters on and off stage. Performances, particularly from the children embodying the possessed, offer an unsettling edge. Despite striking visuals and a final twist that attempts to explain the governess's plight and the challenges women face defending their narratives, the production's elliptical storytelling distracts from the core psychological intrigue.
