JADAR

★★★★☆

Wightwater is a brand-new piece of writing from Frankie Lipman, originally debuting as a short in 53two’s Offcut Festival, now adapted into a brisk 1 hour 20 minute play directed by Oliver Hurst and Rosie Thackaray and produced by Red Brick Theatre.

We sit in on a late-night spooky broadcast with Terie (Isobel Middleton), the long-standing radio host of Live Hub FM’s The Paranormal Show. Terie insists she doesn’t believe in ghosts – but as the night wears on, strange happenings begin to interfere with the broadcast, leaving her wondering whether something supernatural might be lurking in her very own studio.

The stage – a liminal radio booth unbound by modern technology – feels frozen in time. Between the silly nostalgic sound bites, retro healthcare adverts, classic Halloween tunes (think Monster Mash), and Terie’s smooth, velvety delivery, it’s hard to tell what year we’re in. She’s joined briefly by Jo, her young producer who’s off to a fancier job at a bigger station, leaving Terie behind after ten years at Live Hub FM. She’s also joined by Lou (Barney Thompson), a snarky producer above Terie’s pay grade, who can’t be bothered to tech the late-night graveyard slot, making swift low blows at Terie’s age and ability to host a struggling show. Beneath the humour and nostalgia runs a clear thread of misogyny in the workplace and the quiet pain of talented, older women being overlooked.

Isobel Middleton as Terie is superb – her voice is perfectly suited to the role, smooth, engaging, and expressively Stopfordian as a late-night radio host. The performance leaves you with the curious desire to settle in and listen to The Paranormal Show yourself. Some of the dialogue occasionally feels a little slow, but it’s the callers’ ghost stories that provide the production’s most compelling moments. A long list of performers make up the offstage voices, including Julie Hesmondhalgh (Broadchurch, Happy Valley) and Matthew Khan (Waterloo Road), just to name a couple. Towards the end, the production edges into melodrama as Terie’s fear and the supernatural events escalate, trapping her in the studio and fearing for her life; even so, the tension remains largely effective and engaging.

Wightwater’s sound design is deeply immersive, and the technical precision is astonishing. The radio station set feels entirely lived-in, with thoughtful details in every corner. Smoke drifts behind the backdrop’s window, lights flicker perfectly on cue, and objects fall from the ceiling at exactly the right moment (I’m still wondering how that was engineered). It’s slick, funny, and at times genuinely terrifying; each scare had me jumping out of my seat. It’s a testament to the company that they’ve managed to get a new piece of writing on its feet with such style and crisp execution.

Red Brick doesn’t miss. They consistently spoil Manchester with their production value – Wightwater adds to their list of incredible shows, all created with the same high level of craft, heart, and clear vision.

Wightwater runs at 53two until November 7.

Photo: Kelsea Knox