Written by Jake Goodall
There is nothing better than heading to the theatre on a cold & rainy night to watch a gothic play about a haunting, and Tugun Theatre's recent production of The Haunting proved there is still a space for horror ghost plays in the world.
Based on the Charles Dickens Novel (and adapted by Hugh Janes), the story follows a young book dealer, David Filde, when he is employed by a former associate of his uncle to catalog a private library, he finds an incredible array of rare and antiquated books. But as a series of strange and unexplained events conspire to keep Filde from his work, he realises that if he is to convince his skeptical employer that the mysterious phenomena he is experiencing are real, they must journey together to the very edge of terror, and beyond.
This reviewer was lucky to see the West End hit production The Women in Black recently at the Playhouse, QPAC which set the bar for horror ghost stories, and with the resources available to them Tugun Community Theatre put on a story that would rival even this professional productions. Directed by experienced ghost story extraordinaire, Nathan Schulz, this production was in excellent hands. The theatrics of the production were stunning and some effects were even impossible to work out for this reviewer and should be highly commended. Schulz has clearly worked exponentially hard on this production to create a work of pure brilliance.
Costumes by Shakira Summerville were simple and era-appropriate, it was wonderful to see some period pieces used in a production on the Gold Coast! Stage Design by Nathan Schulz, and Darren Campbell and Set Decor by Anita Nieuwland, Cecile Campbell, and Darren Campbell was stunning. Featuring a hyper realistic set, it helped transport the audience directly into this haunting. There were some areas for improvement such as the platform skirting was not all the way finished and some areas that seemed unpainted, however, these are extremely minute details that did not detract from the overall production. Lighting Design By Jasper Lee and Nathan Schulz was extremely effective, showcasing both night and day. Additionally, the use of lighting changes when performers moved around the space with lamps was an added touch that really added depth to the production. Sound was probably one of the biggest (and best) areas of the night, supporting the audio landscape was Anita Nieuwland, Marina Cerra, Caleb Caldwell, Vid Z. Roman, Jessica Wilson, and Chantelle Miller with Original music performed by Vid Z. Roman, and orchestrations by Nathan Schulz and Cecile Campbell. As you can see from this massive sound team the auditory aspect of this production was impeccable, from creaking doors, thunder cracks, howling wind, and thunder claps all adding to the incredible horror aspect, even more so knowing it was being done live!
Now to the stunning performers, as is typical with horror ghost stories the performers who play the ghost is omitted from the program. However, these performer/s created a terrifying character that had the audiences screaming from top to bottom.
The young apprentice was played by Lance Hawkins, Hawkins was the jittery wary character that the audience loved. Hawkins created a multi-layered character that showcased the real depth of their acting. It was difficult at some points to know if Hawkins missed/forgot their lines due to the jittery motions in his vocals and physicality, however even if they did, Hawkins did an incredible job of covering them!
Graham Scott as Lord Gray was hard hitting interesting, it was difficult to know if the audience loved or hated this character as they provided some questionable actions but also redeeming qualities, which is very impressive for a performer to do. Scott has an impressive resume and it is clear why, they are a talented performer who absolutely shines in this role.
Overall, The Haunting is one of the best productions this reviewer has seen at Tugun Theatre and would say it is a MUST SEE! If you are a lover of scary movies, ghost stories or just good theatre, this is the production to see. Just remember to bring a crucifix, some candles and a good ghost vanishing spell book with you!
Photos by One76 Studio
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