“Shuck” by Lapelle’s Factory

Nottingham Playhouse

Before I start, can I say what a joy it is just to sit in a theatre again. To drink in the atmosphere, to view a stage, to be around like minded people and to smell the smell of a theatre.

I applaud the staff of the Nottingham Playhouse for the ease in their operation of Covid's rulings to keep everyone safe and making the possibility of live theatre a reality again.

There is social distancing outside the theatre, your temperature is taken as you enter and then you are directed towards the hand sanitisers, after which your e ticket is scanned and you are directed to your seat, all social distanced.

Drinks can be ordered via your phone and these are brought to your seat. At the end of the performance the staff direct you out of the building row by row.

This is the start of the way back for theatre, and made so easy by the Playhouse staff who have had to master this all new procedure to make sure the procedure runs as smooth as the performances we have grown to expect from the Playhouse stage.

And now, on with the show....

Throughout folklore there have been stories of murderous, evil hounds from hell with blood red - or yellow - eyes, or eye, and razor sharp teeth, hunting for their prey on dark, wet, windy and foggy nights. The sort of hound that fill the pages of myths and legend books over the decades. This is the tale of that kind of hound.

This is the first public sharing of a new work in development from Nottingham's most wayward and compelling theatrical partnership: an old tale with new beginnings that raises the hair, tingles the spine and tickles the ribs.

As a native of East Anglia, Olwen grew up on a healthy diet of weird folklore, and no tale is weirder than that of Black Shuck: the true account of an actual hellhound from actual hell that's affected the identity of her rural community for hundreds of years.

In "Shuck", LaPelle's Factory tell the history of the folklore behind the mythical Black Shuck, but they do it with humour and ability to create a chilling atmosphere within minutes They shine a light on folkloric demons and query how and why grisly tales get passed down through generations, and how they retain their mysterious power to bring us together.

Olwen grew up with these tales but outsider Ollie is a non believer....or is he just in denial?

The set is of minimal proportions, but you don't even need a set when the story telling is as strong as it is in this production. Ollie and Olwen draw you in with their orating, and have you gradually leaning forward in your seat in anticipation of the tale that is unravelling.

Although this is an aperitif for the Halloween season, there is a lot of comedy with Olwen playing the straight person to Ollie's comic dance moves and script - but more of that shortly!

The sound scape was creeping and some nice sound effects, the occasional one making some of the audience jump. So the atmosphere was there while not being overtly scary on a theatrical level.

I love a good story and who doesn't love to be told a good spooky tale, especially at this time of year. it's just a shame that this was a "one night only" performance.

The only thing I found only slightly off putting was that part of the time it was not off book. Now this may be for several reasons such as rehearsal time for the actors, and maybe another week would have put paid to that. Time though is a difficult thing to pin down, even in these Covid times. I will however, take nothing away from these actors who painted pictures in my mind this evening.

The performance was streamed live, but what a joy to be there in the theatre to see live actors and to wallow in the whole atmosphere of live theatre again.

It's good to have you back.