The Conversation pitch horror theatre
A recent wave of new or revived stage plays has demonstrated the popularity of horror theatre. Often seen as a genre of the past, live horror theatre offers audiences a 'good night out' while reflecting the zeitgeist of our new Gothic age
Despite the recent closure of The Woman in Black after decades on stage, audiences have flocked to Paranormal Activity [directed by Punchdrunk's Felix Barrett], Danny Robins' 2:22 and the stage version of his Uncanny podcast, and the Inside Number 9 stage play which begins now the television show has ended. In our digital culture, horror theatre refreshes audiences with compelling and visceral experiences. As well as a ‘good night out’, the genre reflects the disquiet and tumult of society as readily as the ‘lost’ stage horrors presented in Victorian melodrama and the Parisian Grand-Guignol: are they signs of a new Gothic age?
On-stage terror thrived in the ghost and revenge narratives of Victorian melodrama and in the Grand-Guignol’s ‘Theatre of Horror’. Although ostensibly long dead, the genres cast a pervasive shadow. In a culture dominated by screens, there has been a clear appetite for the genuine immersivity of live performance and new horror plays have enjoyed success, not least some adapted from popular audio (Uncanny Live), cinema (Paranormal Activity) and television (Inside Number 9). ‘True’ stories such as the 1970s Enfield Poltergeist case have recently been explored in two concurrent but unconnected productions in the West End and on UK tour. Adapting these works to the stage demonstrates the market appeal of offering audiences a uniquely live version of a favourite show/story (with guaranteed jump scares) but it also reflects a new Gothic era wherein social disturbance and uncertainty creates monsters to embody collective angst and a chance to collectively purge it.