When a lady becomes the new governess of a Manor House, she is now tasked with taking care of two children- alongside her in this task is the housekeeper Mrs Grose. The two children in question, Miles and Flora being an odd pair of “creatures”. Flora, an unspeaking girl who seems to be normal at first, and Miles, a ten year old boy who was suddenly and suspiciously sent home from school for reasons unknown. Now, the governess attempts to unravel the history and supernatural issues she's suddenly found while also being concerned with her own sanity. The real question the whole way through, is what is real in this ghostly horror?

So I’m going to admit, I personally am not one for horror. I haven’t really watched horror movies and don't personally see the appeal in them however I am not one to shy away from a psychological thriller- I thought this show would be littered with jump scares with a basic premise and a very creepy aesthetic and it did have one or two jump scares and the aesthetic was extremely well done. Coupled with the added smoke, lighting and extremely good set design, I was given a chill down my spine by merely walking into the theatre. What I was not expecting was to be left unsettled and shocked by how psychologically changed it left me. All with a new sense of what it meant to be a thriller and a feeling of awe from the talented actors and their portrayal of these mysterious and crazy characters. With such a convincing performance of madness and insanity coupled with the impressive and unusually impactful usage of an artificial pond on stage. I must point out how this pond, whether intended or not, was a great and beautiful addition to the landscape. It was a mirror, possibly a metaphor for the mirroring interpretations that the play is made to exhibit, that when looked into showed the actors in a more paralleled state. Especially in the more intended moments when the water is disrupted and the stage is filled with madness and chaos:  the water reflects this with it's own movement. The water plays a strong role in the show as both story piece and visual spectacle and I oddly enjoyed that.

Now, this show had some of the best acting I have ever seen from an on stage performance. Now, I have previously seen the actor for Miles and Mrs Gorse (among others) in previous shows, with his acting talent being evident in those, however I was amazed by the range and power that was put into his multi-character performance. The actor in question's name being Samuel Freeman who continues to be a delight to watch in the Torch Theatre and I truly hope we see more of. However, an actor I don’t believe I’ve seen previously was the actor Seren Vickers, portraying the unnamed governess and my goodness am I happy I’ve seen her now. Such a gut feeling is present in the entire show. Without a fault in her demeanour as she perfectly portrays the slow drip into madness and clearly demonstrates the body language of a polite caretaker, to a desperate woman mentally thinking she’s the last sane person alive. Both actors are some of the best performance work I’ve seen at the torch and I hope I get to see more of their pure talent. The stage design is also worth a look over. With many small details, the actors use the intricate design to get close with the audience but also it seems to encapsulate the feeling of a massive Manor House perfectly in such a small space. With practical rain effects on the window to add to the already eerie atmosphere, and a multitude of locations where the change of personality is evident from Miles to Mrs Grose and vice versa. With body language and speaking habits being so impressive there was no difficulty in distinguishing the characters! 

This show was unlike anything I’ve seen and was a surprise from the Torch Theatre as something I didn’t expect to see but it paid off with some of the best performances I have ever seen on stage! I urge anyone who dare to watch to do it quickly and spread the word of this unsettling and terrifying experience of the mind.

Image: Lloyd Grayshon, Media to Motion