A deliciously dark slice of gothic horror, Ernest and the Pale Moon is a twisted tale of obsession, guilt, murder and madness from Les Enfants Terribles Theatre Company.
Adapted from actor / producer Oliver Lansley’s own short story, it is heavily indebted to the tales of Edgar Allan Poe (particularly the Tell Tale Heart) and the gripping paranoia of Hitchcock’s best. Indeed, the eponymous Ernest could well be based on Norman Bates, his obsessive spying on neighbouring Gwendoline unfolding into a nightmare of dark desires and terrible misdeeds.
The plot is lean and beautifully constructed, deftly jumping back and forth in time and / or location without ever losing pace or coherence. This is aided in no small part by excellent set design, which is sparse but truly inventive, with the starkly lit stage bringing to mind the unhinged sets in 1920s horror, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. Live music – a mix of melancholy accordion, taught cello strings and metronomic ticking – is an integral part of the action and blends with simple yet ingenious sound effects (all made live on stage) to complement the eerie atmosphere. The small cast is also incredible and give it their all, with committed, convincing performances and impressive choreography.
The play is deliberately pitched at a level of gothic melodrama, which is effective and gripping, although some may find the intensity of the performances and overall tone of anguish and near-hysterical terror a bit wearing – the theatrical equivalent of ending every sentence with an exclamation mark, perhaps. At some points, you feel that less might have been more.
The relentless tone and tight plot – not to mention frequent, fearful narration by the performers on stage – leaves little time for the characters to breathe and for us to truly sympathise with them. A bit more light to contrast with the dark would have been welcome – such as the touching scene of Gwendoline shyly connecting with Thomas, the war-wounded soldier.
Having said that, there are moments of genuine horror here that are so effectively written, staged, directed and performed (such as the scene in which Ernest buries another character alive) that they’re as chilling as anything in a horror movie.
And whether you love the gothic melodrama or not, there’s absolutely no denying that this is a quality production, near flawless in its execution and delivered with such panache that one can only but recommend it for the sheer dark, twisted spectacle it offers. Poe would have been proud.
4/5 
Lee McRonald
Loading ...