Review: It Walks Around the House at Night @ Studio Theatre, Potterow

Birdy hightailed it along to Studio Theatre, Potterow to delight in some theatre horror that chilled her to the bone – and it’s not often that happens!

The title got me first: It Walks Around the House at Night. The fact it’s a horror got me second; I never need much selling for those – especially during spooky season! Written by Tim Foley and produced by award-winning ThickSkin Theatre, this is a show that’s already hot on the heels of a sold-out run. It’s easy to see why.

This is a 90-minute chillfest of a play that will have you enthralled from the moment the lights come down. Technically brilliant, atmospherically on point, and powerfully acted, It Walks Around the House at Night will linger on the mind hours after you leave the theatre.

Vibe

It’s spooky season; the perfect time for seeing a bit of horror. However, the quality on offer doesn’t always hit the mark – this absolutely does. The vibe is set early on when we see the eerie outline of Paragon Hall, a place that doesn’t actually exist… or does it?

If I was in any doubt of this getting a reaction out of me, that doubt was quickly snapped in two by a literal jump scare early on. Unexpected from a play – I think the only time anything’s come even close at the theatre was the first time I saw The Woman in Black. I settle back down and fully embrace this terror-inducing tale.

The show itself

We get to meet Joe (played perfectly by George Naylor); an affable and charismatic yet flawed fellow who’s ready to tell his story. But first, he has to clarify exactly what he means by the title of the show; It Walks Around the House at Night doesn’t mean IN the house… oh no, it means literally AROUND the outskirts.

It turns out Joe was hired to play a ghost by a man he has a crush on. Five nights donning a costume and walking around the grounds of a grand old house for two grand? Seems like a no-brainer. Naylor shines in the part of Joe, at times being confidence, flirtatious, others flawed, vulnerable and completely out of his depth. He seemingly spends a lot of time on his phone as the hours unnaturally vanish before he’s ready.

The stage setup and lighting has been really well thought out, from the looming outline of Paragon Hall, to the lit-up mushrooms and subtle woodland, and even the occasional text displaying on walls to let you know which out of five walks Joe is on; it’s all incredibly clever and really pulls you into Joe’s world.

The physical sequences, aided by crafty light changes, were also particularly powerful. I think one of my favourite sequences was the first night Joe stayed in the lodge, where the lights would dim and then come up to reveal Joe in various awkward and uncomfortable positions on the floor or bed. It’s the first time we get a glimpse of just how dark this tale is going to get, as so many questions race through our minds.

What’s out there? What’s following Joe in the dark? What’s happening to him now? Why am I dreading this next bit? And ARGH what IS that?!

It’d be remiss of me not to mention Oliver Baines as The Dancer, whose appearance and dance also add an extra dimension to the story, and is a perfect complement to Naylor’s performance as the tale starts to unravel and we begin to learn some of the answers we’ve been silently wondering about.

Overall

A stunning performance by Naylor and Baines, this intense creature feature will keep you enthralled throughout the entire 90 minutes – and even bring a little discomfort right at the end, when we learn why we’re all there listening to Joe’s story. But, I won’t spoil that part!

It Walks Around the House at Night is a cut above the rest, and will be something that’ll stay with me for a while. I believe this is the first ThickSkin Theatre performance I’ve seen, but it certainly won’t be the last! Theatrical horror done right, and 10s across the board (well, translating to five stars, in this case).