Latest

Fringe Review: How Came That Blood

How Came That Blood is chilling, unsettling and maybe even a little frightening with a cast of incredibly talented young musicians and actors.

Fringe2015-howcamethatbloodPresented by Scrambled Prince Theatre Company
Reviewed 9 March 2015

I’ll begin by saying that I’ve never quite experienced a high-school performance quite like this.

How Came That Blood is chilling, unsettling and maybe even a little frightening with a cast of incredibly talented young musicians and actors.

Directed by George Franklin and McGregor Rose (musical direction by Gabriel Piras), How Came That Blood is an almost Orwellian retelling of the Red Riding Hood legend. Fifteen blood covered and wizened workers toil in a darkly lit factory as their overseer, Dr Schrodinger, looks on.

It’s all very mysterious and eerie, as we have no idea what is going on in this hellish place other than it is apparently a “safe” refuge from the outside woods where the “Beasts” live.

It would be unfair to single out any member of the ensemble, as they all performed equally well and in incredibly tight sync with one another. The directors and choreographer (Reuben Liversidge) have create a play full of intricate, almost clockwork movement that adds greatly to the dystopian atmosphere of the play. The teen actors never seem to miss a step.

Perhaps the highlight of this piece is the creative music. Written largely by Franklin and Piras, the songs that move the narrative along its dark path are all poetic, well-structured and undeniably creepy. The band make clever use of their woodwind and brass instruments to create sounds such as the deep rumbling of machinery and howling of the wind.

My only problem with How Came That Blood is that it’s just too effective in creating a creepy, violent atmosphere, especially considering that the cast is made up of young actors. Of course, to say that some of the horrifying sub-textual references of this play are too mature for the cast would diminish their roles and the fantastic artistry behind the piece. For this high-school group to present a play that made me quiver in my boots is something truly impressive!

Reviewed by James Rudd
Twitter: @james_wrr

Rating out of 5: 4

Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, 225 Angas Street, Adelaide
Season: 9 – 14 March 2015
Duration: 50 mins
Tickets: $13 – $23
Bookings: Book through FringeTix online or at a FringeTix box office (booking fees apply)

 

More News

To Top