Picture the scene: 1950s London, a backstreet abortion clinic, an actor in a sailor's suit and a woman giving birth to a particularly hairy baby... It certainly doesn't sound like the start of any ordinary piece of theatre, does it? It is, in fact, the beginning of He Had Hairy Hands, the first original production to come from acting company Kill The Beast, previously known for its adaptation of Tom Baker's The Boy Who Kicked Pigs, which received rave reviews.
Back treading the Lowry boards, the group has done it again, selling out both shows for He Had Hairy Hands, a production that definitely doesn't disappoint... if you're into a taste of the macabre, the supernatural, the weird but utterly wonderful, that is. Think League of Gentlemen-style humour without the more disturbing elements.
A 1970s mystery thriller set in the aptly named rural town of Hemlock-under-Lye, the story centres on the puzzling deaths of some of the townsfolk and Detective Eglentine Whitechapel, queen of the supernatural, who is called in to crack the case. At just over an hour in length, the high-octane play moves at lightning speed, so keep your ears open or you'll miss some amazing lines, and watch out for the slick costume swaps and scene changes, which are seriously impressive and make the production particularly original. There are only four actors but God knows how many characters in the play and the cast's ability to move between their different parts seamlessly is quite a feat.
Whether you're a firm believer in the paranormal or have both feet firmly in this world, you'll definitely leave He Had Hairy Hands a big fan of Kill The Beast. After all, as Detective Whitechapel would say, "if there's no such thing as the supernatural... then, how come there is?"
Words: Sarah Adie
Pictures: Richard Davenport
No comments:
Post a Comment