Amanda: A Horror Comedy Musical
★★★☆☆ Unique
The Banshee Labyrinth: Sat 23 – Sun 24 November 2024
Review by Cyril Langston
New horror comedy musical Amanda, from Shock Horror Theatre, brings this quite specific and difficult genre to the stage at a fitting venue in The Banshee Labyrinth, for two nights only.
Amanda tells the story of a girl who finds herself in the hands of a serial killer, known locally as The Creep. The fear spread through Amanda’s community by the Creep is revealed in an atmospheric opening monologue. Known for targeting young women, he has now turned his attention on Amanda and tied her up to see if she can survive the night.
David Scott (The Creep) in Amanda. Pic: Emily McGhee.
As David Scott’s unsettling Creep forces Amanda to retell her life story, his inexplicable familiarity with it slowly comes into focus. Through flashbacks, Elizabeth Fehr as Amanda brings a sense of contempt as she shares the details of her tumultuous relationship with abusive ex-boyfriend Edgar, a disquieting Cameron David Gow.
As she does, it becomes clear that she might not be so innocent herself – and The Creep is somehow connected to it all. The three play off of each other well as their stories intertwine.
Directing duo Aidan Ramsay and Emily Boyle work together alongside stage manager Em McGhee, lighting manager Binta Touray, and choreographer Cara Walker to bring Amanda’s story to the stage. The simple set, just a chair in the middle of the stage nestled in the back room of The Banshee Labyrinth, suits the production well.
atmospheric
Music by Luke Barret is atmospheric and complements the plot. Co-creator Joseph Helsing’s writing is strongest in his lyrics, with Life’s a Bitch/He Deserves to Die and Made Me a Freak and Ran Off With My Soul showing off some of the show’s most fun and interesting lines.
David Scott (The Creep) with Elizabeth Fehr (Amanda) in Amanda. Pic: Emily McGhee.
Unfortunately, slowly delivered dialogue and poor pacing lead to some details being difficult to follow. Though billed as a horror comedy the production hesitates to lean into its eeriness, opting instead for dry humour. The tension built by Amanda’s capture struggles to sustain itself amid the string of increasingly on the nose sexual innuendos throughout the story.
At times it can be difficult to identify the most important information through ad-libbed asides that get laughs but confuse the more poignant moments. Amanda’s defiant disinterest in anything to do with The Creep renders him powerless and un-intimidating from the beginning; the loss of The Creep’s credibility takes the plot’s stakes with it.
successful when focussed,
Amanda is most successful when focussed, letting the tension of the story speak for itself and not being afraid to lean into the horror side of the horror comedy genre. Its unique premise and quirky characters are interesting and welcome additions to a genre which is not often brought to stage, especially in musical form.
Further refinement of the dialogue and a greater consideration of pace could help Amanda to develop in its identity and celebrate its loveable strangeness.
Running time: Two hours and 20 minutes (including one interval)
The Banshee Labyrinth, 29-35 Niddry St EH1 1LG
Saturday 23 – Sunday 24 November 2024
Evenings: 7.30pm.
Production ended.
ENDS
