Calling all StageSiders, welcome back to another review here at StageSideUK. This time around we are talking about The Haunting of Blaine Manor, which played at the Darlington Hippodrome. So settle in and prepare for the full review, its about to begin!
Disclaimer: we were gifted a pair of tickets in exchange for an honest review of this show.
The Haunting of Blaine Manor is your classic ghost story, with a twist. The production begins with a series of scenes that allow the cast to get you caught up to speed. We cover the backstories of each character, their motives and what they aim to achieve within the second act of the performance. The story is rather front loaded with content, and so you really get the majority of the narrative in act 1. In act 2, we see the action unfold and are taken through a seance, as well as several ghostly encounters.
The script itself mentions how horror tends to fall on cheap thrills and easy scares to entertain its audience, and this show tries to avoid these. The soundscape is set up so incredibly well, with surround sound, sound effects and ambient sound creating a really creepy, horrific and sometimes overwhelming atmosphere.
The cast do a great job at playing their parts. Each actor physically resembles their character and their accents and vocabulary is really well selected. The costuming makes each character easily identifiable, though this does in some moments feel a little plain. I suppose with the pedestrian nature of the piece, a spectacular oppulent gown or suit may not be appropriate, but I felt something was missing. Perhaps this was due to the lack of set. Instead we had interactive set pieces or props like chairs, but there was no backdrop. Visually it felt a little sparse, but that didn’t detract from the great story telling. It would have just been nice to have the option to get lost in some aesthetic choices. Similarly there were moments that could have been elevated with some special effects or scenery such as the mention of pentograms. This could have been projected onto a gauze like screen. I feel some of the references to paintings, pictures, walls, fire places etc were slightly lot as the aesthetics were very minimal.
However, as I mention this doesnt take away from the story and instead breaks down the 4th wall, as the audience become one with the ‘other side’. I really enjoyed the use of the audience as this all seeing presence that was being refered to throughout the show, and thought it was cleverly done. I also really enjoyed how far you could fall into the narrative, and when you encountered those moments of shock or a scare, you really did feel it! I at one point jumped so much my knees touched my chest almost. If you love horror, gothic, ghost stories or a bit of a fright, The Haunting Of Blaine Manor is the show for you!
Accesibility
The show contains a series of loud noises, sudden noises and special effects that could overwhelm audience members. The thunder towards the end of Act 1 is very loud but does add to the atmosphere and so it isn’t a random sound effect.
Value For Money
The show has Lucky Hipp tickets for £17.00 or under 25 tickets for £21.00. For £17.00 this show is a a great choice for an evening of spooky entertainment! This show is a great night of storytelling and is a really fun way to spend an evening. I think having some visual elements may add to this value for money.
Have your say!
Have you seen The Haunting Of Blaine Manor? Let me know in the comments and let’s get a discussion going.
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