EDINBURGH 2023: Review: CASTING THE RUNES, Pleasance Courtyard
This eerie adaptation of MR James's ghost story will have you on the edge of your seat.
When a man falls to his death from a tree in the middle of the night, nothing is thought of it. His sister, however, thinks John Harrington must have died under suspicious circumstances after reviewing a book by a certain Mr Karswell, an alchemist. She tracks down Edward Dunning, a researcher, scholar, and professed sceptic of the supernatural, to warn him that if he keeps ignoring Karswell, the same curse might hit him.
Box Tale Soup adapt MR James’s ghost story into a play that has the same dark feel of a Penny Dreadful episode. Elegantly directed by Adam Lenson and featuring impressive puppetry and stage tricks, it’s a production of outstanding craft and storytelling. It’s titillatingly suspenseful but never horrid, the perfect show for those who are too scared to watch horror but love a mild spook. With flickering lights and a sound design that infects the mind, Casting The Runes is deliciously chilling and cohesive.
The puppets doesn’t come off as an artificial gimmick to ease the number of actors, but a brilliant narrative vehicle that enhances the atmosphere. It’s a simply exquisite piece of theatre that will appeal to a range of audiences.
Casting the Runes runs at the Pleasance Courtyard on the following dates: 10-15, 17-27 August.
Reader Reviews
Get Broadway News on WhatsApp
Receive the latest updates, breaking news, and exclusive coverage from Broadway directly in WhatsApp.
Videos
|
One Hour Wedding Underbelly (The Friesian) (8/05-8/23) |
|
Glob Underbelly (8/05-8/30) |
|
Collaborator Pleasance at EICC (Pentland) (8/06-8/22) |
|
Glass Child Summerhall (Old Lab) (8/06-8/16) |
|
Giraffe Pleasance Courtyard (Cellar) (8/05-8/31) |
|
Disney''s Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert Usher Hall (12/03-12/03) |
|
Heated Rivalry: The Musical Parody! Gilded Balloon Patter House - Other Yin (8/05-8/30) |
|
Sister Sophia Kicks the Habit Venue 13 (8/07-8/21) |
|
Jerk Off! Underbelly (Dairy Room) (8/05-8/30) |
|
Gallant Pioneers OVO Hydro (8/28-8/28) |
| VIEW ALL SHOWS ADD A SHOW | |