GREY MAN, Streaming Online
A creepy story for winter comes to the digital theatre space
Made freely available until 17 December 2022, Grey Man (directed by Robyn Winfield Smith) is a classic, thrilling, dangerous story of what we fear, what we remember, and what we dream.
Two versions of the same woman, Maya (Kate O'Flynn and Kristin Hutchinson), are telling a set of stories. They are in rooms (designed by Jason Kelvin) which adjoin each other and look similar: one is clean, clear and minimalist; the other cluttered, old-fashioned and damaged.
They tell us stories about themselves, their sister, their childhood. They tell us of a grey man who was changed by a spell, and who preyed on others. It's a version of the bogeyman, told to frighten little children to get them to do good.
With the help of atmospheric music (Max Pappenheim), movement, and lighting, Grey Man is a chilling piece of theatre; an experiment for stage and screen.
The two actors may not resemble each other (although at first, I wondered if they were mother and daughter, or sisters, as it isn't clear from the text), but they almost become each other through occasional overlapping lines or similarities in gesture or setting.
Grey Man is about the mind, about love, about control, about hope, about envy, In thirty-three minutes it covers a lot of ground, and an associated feature expands on mindfulness, focusing the thoughts, dealing with truth and trauma.
This is a universal set of stories, about crossing the street to avoid the person who looks different, or entering a first intimate experience with someone older, or exploring whether the woman who follows you really is a witch.
It's a fascinating piece of digital theatre, a drama in storytelling, which by the end feels like an elaborate deception to scare the soul. Writer Lulu Raczka has created a play which is strange, familial, and downright weird.
Grey Man is available to stream until 17 December 2022.
Photo Credit: Liminal Stage Productions
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