one4review | On 13, Aug 2024

An adaptation of one of MR James’ most famous spooky stories, Casting the Runes tells the tale of paranormal debunker Professor Dunning who finds himself being supernaturally persecuted by a shadowy occultist whose mystical machinations threaten not only Dunning’s life, but his sanity as well.

Horror theatre is never an easy thing to pull off, especially not at 11:30am, so hats off to the Box Tale Soup theatre company for attempting it. Mixing atmospheric music and lighting, puppets and some truly impressive sets they certainly manage to create a foreboding tone to the show, though it never really crosses into the realms of actually horrifying. The two performers Noel Byrne (who plays Dunning) and Antonia Christophers (who, with the help of some uniquely designed cardboard puppets, plays everyone else) do wonderful work but it’s undoubtedly those sets, which transform from doors, to desks, to tables to chairs, which are the real stars of the show. The craftsmanship of everything on stage is genuinely astonishing and speaks to the dedication of the small company, not just the sets but the costumes and puppets feels bespoke and handmade.

The only thing that really holds the play back is, ironically, a ghost – that of MR James himself. James, at least to my mind, was much better at coming up with spooky imagery and chilling descriptions than actually writing plots. For those familiar with his work, you might notice that this adaptation has changed a few things here and there but, while each change is an improvement to my mind, the fact remains that the original story isn’t all that scary in itself. That said, your mileage may vary and what you find scary is as personal as what you find funny.

Well worth a watch especially if you like your entertainment on the slightly sinister side, just don’t expect to be leaving screaming.

****
Reviewed by Tom
Pleasance Courtyard Above
11.35 (1hr)
Until 25th August