Nyctophilia – Venue 236 – Greenside @ Infirmary Street – Olive Studio – 22.10pm
AS SOMEONE who is both afraid and intrigued by the night, I went into this vaguely described show with slight apprehension. Was I about to be spooked? Were there going to be campfire tales told in stage whispers? Was there going to be masked boogeymen jump scaring this audience from the dark beyond?
The answer was both a little of each column and equally none at all. Instead, this was six different narratives told in a blacked-out room, using only sound and the occasional phone light, we were invited to forget about the flash and cash involved in stage costumes, productions and make up and instead become immersed into the world of these stories.
They opened with a contemporary story of two young men in the dark, one whom has lost his phone and the other who impatiently waited as his friend searched for it. This was my favourite of the six as I felt like I was truly eavesdropping on these friends as they cursed, laughed, shared secrets and made half-jokes about holding hands.
The other stories were historical, fantastical or both, and used different modulations of the actors’ voice to set the scene and let the audience know what emotion they were conveying. Some were more effective than others, having my heart beating faster or tingles in my fingertips were other left me a confused as to what story they were trying to tell.
While I enjoyed the experience of the show, I felt that it would have been more effective with the use of whispering or lowered tones – even autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) – to bring out the true eerie and often lonely feeling of the night.
While I wasn’t aware what was going on half the time, and my neighbours breathing and movements often stole my attention, it was an undoubtedly intriguing and creative show that practices the art of storytelling using very little to no visual aids.
THREE STARS
Get the full details about the show here.
Plus, read more reviews on Scottish Field’s Fringe pages.
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