Review: Casting the Runes (Touring)

Wednesday, 14th February 2024 at Harrogate Theatre

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Drawing on classic tropes of gothic tales and cinematic thrillers, and combining this with clever puppetry, Box Tale Soup Theatre’s Casting the Runes illustrates the versatility and impact of puppetry very nicely indeed.

The show is an adaptation of M.R James’ ghost stories, and in it we follow scholar and sceptic Edward Dunning as he spirals into despair following a run-in with the mysterious Mr Karswell. A pushy individual who does not take no for an answer, Karswell’s creative interference in Dunning’s life gets more and more unnerving until the sceptic is pushed towards frantic re-evaluation of his previously firmly-held beliefs.

Noel Byrne and Antonia Christophers carry the show as a two hander with additional characters presented through puppets – it’s always impressive to see how well actors interact with puppets and Byrne and Christophers are pretty masterful in this respect. Whether it’s Dunning’s brief interactions with the imposing figure of Karswell or the comic edge given to his interactions with the chatty librarian, there’s a fair bit of magic in the interactions between actor and puppet.

And Byrne cuts a fine figure in the leading role: a deeply confident academic with a strong sense of presence (and with just the right smidgeon of arrogant dismissiveness) who is gradually transported from security to terror. Chistophers is great as the plucky and authoritative “new acquaintance” of Dunning’s – a woman hell-bent on not allowing history to repeat, but she’s also wonderful in her ability to pivot vocally and physically (and speedily too) to give life and distinct character to each of her puppeteered roles.

Director Adam Lenson does a fantastic job of building tension here, not just with the dramatically-charged central performances but also with staging which smoothly moves us between settings without ever losing focus on a dimly-lit sense of threat. Dan Melrose’s compositions also provide excellent eerie underscoring in a show which depends heavily on unsettling sound design to give weight to its puppetry and plot developments. And quite apart from the arresting puppetry designs, the company have crafted an impressively versatile set which, while at times begins to feel fussy, proves worth the wait as it continuously transforms before our eyes.

Casting the Runes is a thoroughly engaging hour of inventive and skilful performance. I perhaps wouldn’t go as far as saying it is edge-of-your-seat thrilling, but it’s certainly entertaining and very appealing to see puppetry used within much darker parameters than we most often see it. I’ll be very interested to see what this company comes up with next!

Casting the Runes tours until April 2024 – more information and tickets can be found here.