Review: THE CANTERVILLE GHOST, Southwark Playhouse
Experienced storytelling company Tall Stories, who celebrate their 25th birthday as a company this year, have chosen to devise around Oscar Wilde’s story The Canterville Ghost for their latest project . Wrought with typical Wildean humour and romance, this haunted house story is more Casper The Friendly Ghost than Paranormal Activity.
Tall Stories present Wilde’s tale in six short acts, punctuated by performances from a coterie of music hall performers – including an illusionist, a comedian and a psychic. The jaunty music hall stylings emphasise the broad humour over any creeping sense of dread or horror which may disappoint any audience members seeking some spine-tingling thrills this spooky season.
The concept of this show is solid but the execution is decidedly shaky. After a confident welcome by The Compere – played with rich gravitas and velvet allure by Steve Watts – the show quickly loses any weight. Tall Stories present a lot of work for audiences of all ages, including families, and it feels as though this show hasn’t quite graduated to an adult audience (despite the delicious promise of a 12+ age rating and a content warning promising ‘puppet profanity’).
Barney George’s design and Morag Cross’s choreography revolve around a lot of props and moving set, around which the cast don’t appear to feel entirely confident. The slapstick sequences and physical humour feels tentative in the wrong way. As an ensemble, the cast support each other well but can afford to push themselves just a little bit further to full embody the campness of real Victorian music hall.
Callum Patrick Hughes makes a valiant effort during his performance as the illusionist, but that is exactly his downfall. His sleight of hand is effortful, but Matt Jopling is a surprising delight with his ventriloquist act, which offers the brash and bawdy humour that this production was crying out for.
There are brief flashes of genuine hilarity in this show but on the whole, Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell’s production doesn’t reach far enough in any direction.
A lot of potential, but misses the mark.
** Two stars
Reviewed by: Livvy Perrett
The Canterville Ghost plays at Southwark Playhouse until 5 November, with tickets available here.