Review: The Thinning Veil, Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton (From Somerset County Gazette)

Review: The Thinning Veil, Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton

5:35pm Monday 1st November 2010 in What's On By Joe Martin

Review: The Thinning Veil, Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton.

OCTOBER 31 is the time of year when the veil is said to be thinnest between this world and “the other side”. For followers of the Pagan faith, this is a time to remember and honour their ancestors, while other faiths see it as a time when demons and supernatural entities walk the earth to corrupt and influence mortal men.

For Kevan Manwaring and Richard Selby, part of Fire Springs, Storytellers of Bath, Friday, October 29 was the perfect opportunity for a night of dark tales from the far reaches of human experience.

From a traveller accosted by dark and murderous creatures on his journey home to a young man seduced by an otherworldly princess, the two storytellers wove a series of riveting and sinister narratives interlaced with dark humour and Celtic imagery.

Like all good stage performers, Manwaring and Selby draw the audience into their gothic tales by encouraging them to participate in their stories. Whether its providing sound effects for creaking floorboards in a haunted castle or chanting the name of an Irish hero to prevent them from being cursed, the duo know exactly how to make their audience feel as important as any of their own characters.

Creepy, morbid and surprisingly thought provoking, The Thinning Veil left the audience enraptured and on the edge of the seat throughout. And for a Hallowe’en show based entirely around the human voice, that’s a scary achievement.