Ghosts and a lot more on offer in a century spanning soap opera

The Herald Scotland

26-06-2025

Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
Ghosts and a whole lot more are in the house in Ali Milles' overloaded thriller, resurrected by the Original Theatre company following a truncated run in 2020 cut short by lockdown.
It begins simply enough, as the spirited Laura arrives at her family home in the hills with her older lover Suzanne in tow. Before the pair can settle in, unreconstructed family ghillie David arrives to check out the cottage hasn't been occupied by interlopers. Other former residents soon make their presence felt, however, as what started out as a retreat for Laura and Suzanne becomes an almighty confrontation.
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As time slips back and forth between Liza Goddard's Enid all the way up to Laura's own mother, history repeats itself by way of several generations of dangerous liaisons and secret affairs that make up a century spanning soap opera. Throw in some free thinking talk of witches and selkies, and as the rocking chair springs into unoccupied life you wonder what Scots myth is likely to make it through lighting designer Chris Davey's washes of Highland skies and come through the door of designer Adrian Linford's dilapidated cottage set next.
The five-strong cast of Alastair Whatley's production that picks up from Philip Franks' original direction are game enough as they are led by Gracie Follows as Laura, with Caroline Harker doubling up in Freudian fashion as both Laura's girlfriend and her mum. Assorted men-folk are played by Gray O'Brien and Simon Roberts, with only Goddard standing alone as Enid.
Like the similarly set The Haunting of Alice Gilfrey at Oran Mor a few weeks ago, one can't help but think of Inside Number 9's meticulously observed pastiches. There are some serious things going on here, but in a play that is essentially about Laura's purging of old demons, they need space to breathe beyond the hammy horror.