Review: THE BARN, Turbine Theatre (Online)

Paul Bradshaw and Naomi Miller’s The Barn is presented to us by The Turbine Theatre in a show which was live streamed on Friday 7 May 2021 and is now available on-demand until 27 May. 

The Barn is a thriller set in Texas in 1983. We meet Joe, played by Ben Turner (The Kite Runner, Casualty, Doctor Who). He lives alone and a storm has hit. There’s a knock on the door and Lucy, played by Evelyn Hoskins (Waitress, Carrie, Misfits) enters. Nervous and alone, she takes shelter from the storm and eventually dark secrets are revealed that takes this story from cosy to thrilling.

Firstly, the sound effects in this piece are exceptional. They’re the right volume level to imply that the storm is raging outside, but not too loud that it overpowers the actors on the stage. They also aid the piece in building suspense. 

The story is very well written by Bradshaw and Miller and is staged in a way that the two characters are framed in predominantly close-up shots - simple yet effective. It allows the actors face's to do all of the storytelling and means the viewers don’t get distracted by what hands, props, costumes etc. are doing. 

Both of the actors have fairly horizontal accents, so at points when they have to use enhanced emotion, some of the lilts on specific words occasionally drop out; something Hoskins is slightly more prone to than Turner. This is the only point to be made in an otherwise exceptional play. 

The acting on the whole is wonderful. Hoskins has such piercing, steely eyes and she uses those to her advantage in this piece with glances at the camera. Her stares show how aggressive she is being but with such a youthful and innocent face, this makes her an unpredictable entity throughout much of the piece. 

Turner fares well as a loner and he displays a real depth of emotion when his dark past is delved into. His speech and delivery of the dialogue makes you hang off of everything that he is saying and between the two of them, they really draw you into the piece, leaving you wanting more at the end. 

The play is tense and gripping and although live theatre will soon be back on the cards, The Barn is still absolutely worth a watch.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Emma Littler

The Barn is available to view here until 27 May.