Review: THE HAUNTING OF AGNES GILFREY, Oran Mor

The Haunting of Agnes Gilfrey is a new gothic thriller written by Amy Conway and directed by Katie Slater. 

Agnes Gilfrey (Sarah McArdlie) and James Laird (Manasa Tagica) are finally getting a honeymoon, a year after their marriage. Agnes is slightly older than her husband and they're having difficulty conceiving. 

The pair found their Scottish Highland accommodation on a website called Rent A Castle and are greeted by housekeeper Mrs Carlin (Mary Gapinski) when they arrive much later than planned. 

James is a sweet but slightly naive American who has discovered a recent interest in his family ancestry and is desperate to be a father. 

The Haunting of Agnes Gilfrey is a wonderfully atmospheric play that really leans into building the tension. There are no jump scares (for those who are a bit nervous!) but there are some delightfully spooky sound effects. 

Agnes starts to exhibit some strange behaviour in the night and as she learns more about the long-deceased owner of the castle, she starts to draw comparisons. McCardie gives a fantastic performance as their two lives start to bleed together and she finds herself behaving a bit out of character...

The balance between gothic thriller and folklore and modern-day drama is handled well. Mary Gapinski excels as the slightly creepy housekeeper who has declared this property a WiFi free zone. The only slight niggle is that the play ties things up a bit too explicitly at the end. 

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