Review of Loft Theatre Company production of The Exorcism (2015)

Evil spirits are not really the problem here. It’s just such a shockingly outdated play.

Times have changed, of course. Today zombies stomp around the neighbourhood, vampires are young and presentable and get invited in. Ghosts and haunted houses have been relegated to the Carry On league. So it’s hard to get excited when someone asks something like: ‘What did Rachel do at the clavichord?’ Or to shiver with anticipation when the question is posed: ‘What’s happening?’ and the answer is revealed: ‘Something strange.’

One solution might be to play it all as a stylised period piece. Writer Don Taylor includes references to literary giants like Coward and Orwell so perhaps he had this in mind. Unfortunately, the dialogue, in its efforts to reflect social hypocrisy and imbalances of the welfare state through spooky back-plotting, comes across as merely pretentious.

To be fair, it is a relief when Rachel has her go at the clavichord because up to that point the play’s two couples sharing Christmas in an isolated country cottage seem to be more in danger of boring each other (and the audience) to death with seemingly endless pseudo-middle-class chatter.

So where does all this leave us? Darren Scott’s production works at being lively in pace and is well served by the sound and lighting effects and by Richard Moore’s evocative set. There’s a nice joke at the beginning and the story does have an effective kick at the end.

The four players are clearly up against the script, however, and if only Ruth Herd manages to salvage some better moments, the scale of their overall challenge is rather overwhelming.

One could only wish for a more spirited outcome.

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Peter McGarry is an experienced, independent professional theatre critic who has agreed to review Loft Theatre Company productions.

The agreement with the Loft is that Peter is free to express his opinions for good or ill. The Loft Theatre Company has no control whatsoever over the content of these reviews and will never comment publicly on what he writes.