Abby Lyons
Verdict is a 6 Degrees Production from the minds of MFA students Alanah Munn (director and co-creator) and Pan Clark (scenography lead, hair/makeup design and co-creator). The piece aims to translate “haunted house scare acting to the theatre”. It's bold, ambitious, new and as a combo of scaredy cat and horror-fan myself: I am excited and intrigued by the premise.
Verdict invites the viewer not into a show but a courtroom; a space where we are the judge and control the fates of the souls of Dr Frankenstien, Count Dracula and Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde. After hearing the case from our Angel defendant, Sariel (Micah Nicolson) and Demon prosecutor, Orobas (Jamie Sayers), we are instructed to vote whether to send them to The Above; where they will be cleansed of their sins or The Below, where they will spend eternity as a tortured soul.
Upon entering the stage, I am hugely impressed by the design of the show. The set design (by Nathan Arnott and constructed with Lachlan Oosterman) is grand with large stone walls, caged doors keeping the demons of the deep at bay and a platform for the reigning Judge (Alex Quinn) to watch over the court. It's the dungeon of Brennan Lee Mulligan's dreams and I’m obsessed with it. It's not the first time I have been wowed by Arnott’s design and I am certain it won’t be the last. It creates the perfect landscape for the costume, lighting and sound design to create a spooky, underworld atmosphere. Costume designer Dannielle Arnott and makeup designer Pan Clark, are pulling out all the stops with their creations. There is such careful attention to detail from the glittery Edward-Cullen heart patch on Dracula’s suit to the Biblically accurate eyes painted on Sariel’s face.
As the audience finishes filing in, we meet our Courtiers. These are the guys sent to scare us. Imagine the first time you went to Spookers or Fear Factory with your friends as a teen, clinging to the arm of your best friend, creeping around a haunted house just to come face to face with a giggling jester or screaming axe murderer. As well as adding to the pre-show ambiance, they assist the trials by counting votes, moving set pieces and giggling or screeching in support of our votes. Whilst they nail the vibes, nine times out of ten they pull focus away from the action. I found myself getting distracted watching them twist and turn in the back corners and shamefully missed a few details of the core story.
There are even a handful of moments where their blocking obstructs the core action and muddies the stage picture. I would encourage director Munn to revisit the Courtiers in their future renditions. With some more structure and guidance on when to move and when to remain an eerie, still presence in the back; these characters can really send some chills down our spines.
There are standout performances from Nathan Arnott as Dr Frankenstein and Alex Quinn as The Judge. Quinn sits atop the platform observing the court throughout the show and is clearly having the most fun. He command’s your attention as the ruling leader of the evening but also brings a welcome lightness to the show. Arnott walks a lovely line of showing the deep fear and regret of his actions whilst also fully embodying the crazed madman who made those choices in the first place.
The word for this production is grand; and whilst some of it pays off, there are some areas where I think the team have bitten off more than they can chew.
Horror is a hard genre to nail; particularly in live theatre. I have only seen it done a handful of times and even fewer times where it has filled me with a genuine sense of dread or made me jump with fright. But the successful live horror I have experienced really emphasises that less is more. There is something about watching a character sneak around in a space you know they aren’t safe in with building sound design and dim lighting where anything can jump out that makes you sink back in your seat and cover your eyes. I didn’t feel this tension or dread in this production.
By sticking to their inspiration from haunted attraction scare-acting, most of the fright is delivered by screaming or larger than life reactions from our characters. Whilst this is chilling and uncomfortable to watch in the beginning, it loses its charm and we grow to expect it. I would encourage the team to keep these moments close to their chests and be extremely particular about when they use them. I believe dread and suspense is built by the lack of something; sound, lighting, action or even dialogue and some more moments of restraint will really help this production shine.
Verdict is a bold new take on live horror with wonderfully creepy character designs and some fun moments. If you’re a horror fan who has been to Fear Factory one too many times; this production is the next haunted attraction to add to your list.
Verdict is on at BATS until Saturday 7th December. Get your tickets here: https://bats.co.nz/whats-on/verdict/