If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what would happen if several of William Shakespeare’s leading women — including Desdemona, Juliet and Ophelia — found themselves in a slumber-party slasher with the demonic Queen Mab, The Villains Theatre’s latest production is one you won’t want to miss. William Shakespeare’s Playhouse of Horror, which ran at Park Place Theatre from Oct. 24-27, brought this eerie story to life, offering a dark twist on some of the Bard’s classics.
The 90-minute long collection of tragic-comedies brought viewers five tales of terror. The production was written and directed by Dan Bray and featured a cast and crew of over 20 members.
William Shakespeare’s Playhouse of Horror followed the resurrected corpse of William Shakespeare (Michael Kamras) as he unveiled his reimagined versions of beloved classics. Brought to life by quirky and charming characters, the witty tales contained laughs and easter eggs for pop culture, slasher and theatre lovers alike. From a Cast Away (2000) Ariel the coconut (Margaret Hild) to Miranda’s (Jessie Walker) chilling declaration that “a girl’s best friend is her father,” this production is full of twists, turns and tempests at every stage.
An absolute scream
This production was a pun-lover’s dream; every chance at a clever quip was seized, and the performers’ fast-paced deliveries were met with laughter that roared throughout the room. While not every joke landed — or was caught in time — the majority of the wordplay left cheeks sore.
During one scene, Juliet’s mother (played only by a disembodied voice; no actress credited) left money for her daughter (Katherine Norris) to buy pizza because Juliet is a star-crust lover. In another, Lady MacBeth (Sarah Richardson) shouted, “Out, damned Spot!” at an offstage dog.
For the folks who couldn’t keep up with the pace of the puns, the cast’s physical comedy surely made up for it. From cartoon-style freeze frames in the middle of fights to the use of wands as melee weapons, the slapstick, prop-based quarreling made audience members grin.
The humour in this production is clearly a labour of love on behalf of the writer and the cast members, who fed into the audience’s reactions by encouraging the crowd to hype up a joke or boo a villain’s plans.
Minimal stages and maximum mayhem
Cast members shuffled, sprinted and strutted across the minimalist stage, allowing their physical skills to shine. Show attendees shared uneasy laughs as Annie Hatheway (Jessica Oliver) walked backwards across over two metres of the stage, staring intently ahead, showcasing a honed blend of horror and comedy.
The props and set pieces were versatile, with different uses across the different tales and centring the action for certain scenes. A feather quill is used for salacious note-swapping in one scenario and terrifying tickles in the next. The same bed that was wildly small for a slumber party of three adults proves just big enough for an exorcism moments later.
Immersive sound design
Sound designer Colleen Arcturus MacIsaac truly outdid themselves in this production. The robust use of eerie knocks and calls from beyond the boarded-up backstage filled the room with laughter and fear. Within the close-quarters of the Park Place Theatre, the dark and immersive thundering of tempests and fairytale-like musical chimes felt straight out of Goblin’s Suspiria (1977) soundtrack.
To balance the scary atmosphere with lighthearted treats, horror themes were played for kitschy callbacks, leaving the whole room cackling while setting the sinister stage. A favourite moment of the audience’s came when Feste (Katherine Norris) played a frantic version of the Halloween (1978) main theme on a recorder as the tale “13th Night, or I Know What Thou Wilt Have Done Last Summer” began.
Lighting and lightning
Candles flickered before their light disappeared, crackles of lightning danced along the stage as the tempest raged on and darkness settled upon characters to accent their performances. The ambience created by lighting designer Orion Gokiert was spectacular and truly complimented Bray’s writing. Every choice felt intentional, including choices to not adjust the brightness of a scene. As the down-to-clown Sir Toby Belch (Daniel Nwobi) turned up a gaslight to soothe and court the be-spooked Maria (Zoë Comeau), the stage’s glow remained the same, allowing the audience to slowly realize the wordplay at hand.
After the standing ovation, the man in front of me exclaimed, “That’s the best thing I’ve seen all year. Definitely.” At the very least, it was a perfect Halloween treat.
If you love Shakespeare, pop culture and supporting emerging and established artists in Halifax, check out The Villains Theatre’s next production.
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