Theatre / m.r. james
Review: Oh, Whistle…, Factory Theatre
A one-man show doesn’t necessarily mean one voice, and actor/storyteller Robert Lloyd Parry has us gripped from the get-go in these re-enactments of MR James’ atmospheric ghost stories. No surprise, really, as the accomplished actor has toured his adaptations of James’ oeuvre since 2005.
A simple set puts the spotlight on Lloyd Parry’s rich vocals as he brings to life the colourful characters in these old-world stories, from the high-pitched chambermaid to the cantankerous colonel. In The Ash Tree, we hear of the goings-on at a Norfolk manor house, cursed since a local woman was condemned to death for witchcraft. Lloyd Parry’s breathless delivery of the key scenes, like Sir Richard nodding in the candlelight, are totally mesmerizing, and build towards the seriously spooky ending when his hands bring the eponymous ash tree to life.
The second half opens to Lloyd Parry slurping soup, one of many amusing moments in Oh, Whistle… which begins with three different academics conversing over dinner and the actor showing off his vocal dexterity. Other memorable moments in this chilling tale are the quick, light dialogue when our protagonist Packin meets the Colonel, and Lloyd Parry’s mesmerizing use of simple props to represent the paranormal.
Lloyd Parry is a master of suspense, and delivers many, many words in these stories at a whistle-stop pace, while drawing out key moments with terrifying effect. MR James originally penned these tales as Christmas entertainment: you feel he would approve of Lloyd Parry’s pacy retellings that keep us all from the winter chills, while providing a few of their own.
Oh, Whistle… was at the Factory Theatre on Sunday, March 6. For more on Robert Lloyd Parry, visit www.nunkie.co.uk/about.html
Photo by Shelagh Bidwell
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