Lamp Oil (Salford)

Venue: The Eagle Inn
Where: Salford

Well, we were warned. The lights going out interrupt a performance of Dead Scary at the Eagle Inn. But a Regular (James Foster) has already warned the audience that there is a dark secret about why the pub is nicknamed Lamp Oil and it looks like his stories might be true.

Previous productions by The House of Orphans have generated a disquieting sense of unease. Creator/Director Adam Chapter and his co-writer Lucia Cox have no such pretensions this time. With Lamp Oil they set out to do no more than give the audience a good scare but, significantly, make sure that the process is tremendous fun.

The conclusion of the play is shaky (a common problem with shows that demand a high level of audience participation) but this play is a production in which pretty much all of the elements work like a dream. Chapter’s subtle direction ensures that the various contributors work together selflessly, without drawing unnecessary attention, so that the parts of the show mesh seamlessly. Remarkable when you consider the number of people involved.

Dead Scary, the play within a play put together by the hapless thespians Dolly-Rose Campbell and Rob Ward, is hilarious in itself and also because it serves as a parody of the ‘immersive theatre’ concept. It is an example of how not to secure audience involvement.  Set designer Meriel Pym achieves a stunningly effective transformation of the Eagle Inn from a thriving pub to a derelict building (complete with layers of dust and cobwebs) in such a short time it beggars belief. Pym’s costumes include marvelous ‘headless’ creatures. Owen Rafferty’s eerie background sound effects create just the right mood for a show where anything could be creeping up on you.

There are twists and turns that can’t be revealed without spoiling the surprise but Lamp Oil is great fun ; demonstrating both the range of the company and that the Eagle Inn is the place to be this Halloween.

– Dave Cunningham