★★★☆☆
Murder in the Dark, a new supernatural thriller by Torben Betts, is a loving ode to the genre but, sadly, it is not as clever as it thinks it is.
The ghost story is set on New Year’s Eve when a car crash leaves troubled singer Danny Sierra (Tom Chambers) and his dysfunctional family, returning from the funeral of Danny’s mother, stranded at an isolated holiday cottage in rural England. As soon as they arrive, strange and ghostly events begin to occur – and the lights go out.
Tom and his significantly younger girlfriend, Sarah (Laura White), are welcomed into the cottage by the friendly Mrs Bateman (Susie Blake), who then goes to collect the rest of the family. Danny’s serious, semi-estranged brother, William (Owen Oakeshott), arrives before the others, and it isn’t long before things get heated.
Eventually, Tom’s unhappy ex-wife, Rebecca (Rebecca Charles), and angry, distant son, Jake (Jonny Green), arrive, and they, too, row with Danny. Whilst Danny has done his family wrong, you begin to feel sorry for him because his family are constantly ganging up on him – and they’re so bloody annoying.
The characters are all well-written and developed but some of the acting is wooden and over-the-top, which is probably down to the direction. Everything is heightened.
Blake easily steals the show as the eery, eccentric landowner who rescues the family. She appears sporadically, and you miss her whenever she is away. Mrs Bateman is a mysterious figure, and you’re never sure whether or not you can trust her – but Blake makes sure you love her.
The well-designed, realistic set is mostly static but there are elements that move around and are brought on and off. The costumes are good.
However, the lighting (or lack thereof) is incredibly disappointing. Lighting is so important for stage thrillers, especially supernatural ones, yet this play makes very little use of it. The stage is dimly lit, and the lights go out a few times, but that’s about it. It’s a real missed opportunity.
The story is initially intriguing but it begins to drag a little. The suspense never fades but it lacks the excitement of other slow-burning thrillers. It takes awhile to reveal the twist – that is, the twist begins to unravel but is then dragged out – which risks the audience losing interest. The twist is relatively predictable, by virtue of having been done before.
The creatives claim to be big fans of classic horror, which is clear, but they rely too heavily on clichés and conventions without offering anything new.
Betts inserts the right amount of comedy into the script – and Blake’s delivery takes it to another level – but the story and production alike fail to produce genuine fear in the audience, in the way that Ghost Stories managed to.
2:22 A Ghost Story was chilling from the very beginning, and whilst the jump scares employed in each scene change could be criticised for being cheap gimmicks, they were effective and kept the audience on the edge of their seats. Murder in the Dark, however, might just have you sinking into your seat as you wait for it to finish.
Murder in the Dark runs at the Lowry (Lyric Theatre) until January 27 and tours the UK until March 30.
Photo: Pamela Raith Photography
JADAR 