Any fans of the macabre would do themselves a favour by coming along to this gloriously depraved oddity tucked away at the French Institute. Performed five times a day, this half-hour tale contains the perfect balance of dark humour and creepy atmosphere.
This half-hour tale contains the perfect balance of dark humour and creepy atmosphere.
The show is a look into the bizarre relics that our hostess Ourelia Cazaniescu (Aurelie de Cazanove) and her mute brother Vodek (Gwen Aduh) have inherited from their troubled uncle. Exiled from Romania, the siblings have created the Antiquithon, a sort of vault for the ancient objects that are on display for the public. There is a story behind each object, which includes a spider-rabbit, a mermaid and a dancing skeleton, but the most bizarre aspect comes from the relationship between our two hosts themselves.
This is a deliciously bonkers little show that creates an air of uneasiness from the minute we’re introduced to the two protagonists. There are a few neat tricks within the show. The objects provide some nice effects while the performances of the two actors are suitably awkward. There do seem to be a few underdeveloped moments within the narrative though, and the interplay can be a bit shoddy in some places, but it remains part of the fun. Like being on a ghost train, the performance works best as we sit uneasy and unsure of what might happen next.
It’s certainly not a show to take too seriously with the dark, absurd humour providing plenty of laughs throughout. As the pace picks up at an alarming rate towards the end, the audience is treated to a few good scares to end the performance. Special mention goes to the effects and music, which really add to the creepy atmosphere of this wickedly intense little show.
