The Haunting of Spook Mansion (By Ghosts) Review
By Jake Freeman
For generations, the haunted house story genre has been a favourite for audiences. The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, The Shining and House on Haunted Hill, to name a few. In fact, there are so many titles, that the genre has been saturated to the point of parody.
Enter Michael Ward, a comedy writer, who has written and produced numerous Australian comedies s including Mad As Hell and Welcher & Welcher, co-writing and producing the Bond spoof, Bond-A-Rama and Every James Bond Film Live On Stage. In a recent interview ahead of the show, Michael said, “Australian horror is booming at the cinema – so why not in the theatre as well?”
The Haunting of Spook Mansion (By Ghosts) opens at a Melbourne book shop reading for A Bullshittery of Ghosts, the latest book by Professor Adrian Chambers, (Peter Houghton), a washed-up paranormal investigator, sceptic and the Head of a University Paranormal Disproval Department. During the bookshop event, he is approached by Beth Jackson, (Emily Taheny), a long-time and apparently Chambers’ only fan. Beth offers Adrian a challenge: for him, to stay overnight in Spook Mansion and pocket $500,000 for his trouble. Adrian who is struggling financially, accepts the challenge.
But what he doesn’t realise is Beth and her brother Flugel (Ben Russell) have an ulterior motive in getting him to spend the night at Spook Mansion. It’s a motive that proves far scarier for Adrian than encountering a ghost.
Peter Houghton, known for his serious roles, truly showcases his comedic talents. He brilliantly portrays the washed up, desperate but arrogant paranormal investigator that goes on a journey when he decides to spend the night at Spook Mansion.
Emily Taheny as Beth Jackson also gave a fantastic performance on opening night. As with Peter, she had great comedic delivery, timing and was captivating during the more intense scenes. One of the highlights of the show was Emily’s character changing voices and accents in a fake séance session to scare Adrian.
Ben Russell, despite his small stage time was also memorable, often receiving the biggest laughs from the audience. He played several characters in the show.
The writing of The Haunting of Spook Mansion (By Ghosts) has plenty of sharp and witty humour and dialogue, however, it is still filled with elements of a thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Having attended numerous productions here, I felt that Chapel off Chapel was the ideal venue for this show and being able to create that sort of intimacy and relationship between the story and the audience. To get to my seat for this show, I entered through the stage, immediately immersing myself within the story.
The lighting and sound techniques employed were very effective in grasping the audiences’ attention elevating them into an immersive experience. Everything from glows, shadows and sudden lighting blackouts, aided by the sounds of unknown footsteps, eerier radio static and ghostly voices makes one feel that they are there alongside the actors.
Despite the small stage size, the creative team were able to utilise the space evoking a small bookshop, then the interior of a typical haunted house, cobwebbed fireplace, peeling wallpaper, creepy old paintings and rocking chairs.
Like The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror anthology series before it, The Haunting of Spook Mansion (By Ghosts) offers the perfect blend of very witty and sharp comedy and intense horror that will have the audience nervous with laughter yet wanting more.
The Haunting of Spook Mansion (By Ghosts) is directed by Russell Fletcher, written by Michael Ward and stars Peter Houghton as Professor Adrian Chambers, Emily Taheny as Beth Jackson, Ben Russell as Flugel. Additional voice over work is provided by Andy Goodone, Stephen Hall, Roz Hammond, Anita Punton. The Haunting of Spook Mansion (By Ghosts) is playing at Chapel Off Chapel until Sunday 23 November. The show is 75 minutes long with no intermission and has a strict lockout policy. Audience members are encouraged not to be late otherwise they will not be permitted inside.
This production contains frequent coarse language, some violence, supernatural and adult themes, strobe lighting and haze effects. It is only suitable for mature audiences. To learn more about The Haunting of Spook Mansion (By Ghosts) and purchase tickets, go to The Haunting of Spook Mansion (By Ghosts) | Chapel Off Chapel
