Drowning Rock - Camden People's Theatre
With Halloween just around the corner, some of us are looking for a good scare to chill our bones… apparently, so has the audience at Camden People’s Theatre that have come for Matthew Wood’s production of Drowning Rock.
“With an atmosphere somewhere between the Woman in Black and Jaws, Drowning Rock is a ghostly tale of the terrors of the sea mixing Cornish legends and tales of shipwrecks with the Mythos of H. P. Lovecraft.”
As the doors open we are welcomed into the black theatre space by a lantern welding fisherman, dressed in so’wester oil cloths. The soundtrack is of a howling wind and waves breaking upon a rocky shore. We are immediately transferred to another place aided by the onstage singing of another fisherman and his ol’ sea shanty.
This tale then starts in a hospital where a patient is being visited by his son. The narration continues and we are led back in time where the patient regales his time spent searching for answers about his father’s disappearance, James Hawker, who is lead to Drowning Rock Lighthouse.
“Tormented by haunting visions of the ghostly deep where his father’s ship sank. Mysterious local folklore, tales of shipwrecks and dark campfire stories set the scene for a show which should send a suitable chill down your spine.”
Unfortunately, my spine was left rather warm on this occasion, and I inappropriately laughed during what should have been a much darker scene. The obvious plot was let down by bad stage craft and inadequate acting skills, apart from those of John Gregor who plays both the aged father and Roper in the Lighthouse tale.
A little fog effect here would have gone a long way to suspend my belief in this rather uninspiring rendition. I will give them credit for excellent use of an audience blinding effect with a torch, raising the drama of the scene.
Based on works by the master of horror, H P Lovecraft, it seemed that Matthew Wood’s production promised to be a vivid storytelling with scares and chills but if you are looking to be scared this Halloween – keep looking.
Drowning Rock is at Camden People’s Theatre from 16th October to 4th November .
“With an atmosphere somewhere between the Woman in Black and Jaws, Drowning Rock is a ghostly tale of the terrors of the sea mixing Cornish legends and tales of shipwrecks with the Mythos of H. P. Lovecraft.”
As the doors open we are welcomed into the black theatre space by a lantern welding fisherman, dressed in so’wester oil cloths. The soundtrack is of a howling wind and waves breaking upon a rocky shore. We are immediately transferred to another place aided by the onstage singing of another fisherman and his ol’ sea shanty.
This tale then starts in a hospital where a patient is being visited by his son. The narration continues and we are led back in time where the patient regales his time spent searching for answers about his father’s disappearance, James Hawker, who is lead to Drowning Rock Lighthouse.
“Tormented by haunting visions of the ghostly deep where his father’s ship sank. Mysterious local folklore, tales of shipwrecks and dark campfire stories set the scene for a show which should send a suitable chill down your spine.”
Unfortunately, my spine was left rather warm on this occasion, and I inappropriately laughed during what should have been a much darker scene. The obvious plot was let down by bad stage craft and inadequate acting skills, apart from those of John Gregor who plays both the aged father and Roper in the Lighthouse tale.
A little fog effect here would have gone a long way to suspend my belief in this rather uninspiring rendition. I will give them credit for excellent use of an audience blinding effect with a torch, raising the drama of the scene.
Based on works by the master of horror, H P Lovecraft, it seemed that Matthew Wood’s production promised to be a vivid storytelling with scares and chills but if you are looking to be scared this Halloween – keep looking.
Drowning Rock is at Camden People’s Theatre from 16th October to 4th November .
To find out more about - visit the Camden People's Theatre website
You review
I went to see this with 7 other people as we know Matt quite well. Honestly i am not really a fan of scary films / books etc so when i put myself down for seeing this i was a bit weary.. It is quite an intimate theatre and there must have a few seats empty in all. I really enjoyed it but will be thinking about it for a while...(storyline, actors, effects which are done by Matt himself etc) Would def recommend his play and i am grateful he shared his gift with us all.
You Review
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