Country Air ‘A Contemporary Ghost Story’ is, to be frank, confusing and confused about what it is. Initially it appears to be a conventional haunted house story, in the manner of ‘The Woman In Black’, punctuated by an eccentric narrator with penchant for going off on a tangent. At other points it’s a satire on bourgeoisie dinner parties, in an entertaining scene that nods to ‘Abigail’s Party’. Then it’s a meta-play, with removal men contemplating the writer’s agenda and the narrator commentating on the dull dialogue. I’ll be contemplating and commenting on the same.
It does seem pretty settled on it’s ‘wacky’ moral; don’t relocate to Somerset. It also seems to suggest mentally unstable wives shouldn’t drag down their husbands and focus on that book they never write or should all take up knitting. I’m sure it doesn’t take any of this too seriously, but there doesn’t appear to be any coherency in the comedy or the creepy.
Take this example for quirky, yet baffling; for some unknown reason, a guy in a dress disrupts a ‘haunting’, some loud banging noises, in what initially appears to be an attack, but results in banal tea and biscuits. I wouldn’t have any qualm with cross-dressing generally, but in theatre there’s often a marked rationale behind the choice and furthermore the acting should commit. This guy was more concerned with scratching his crotch than taking on the character of a nice old lady.
I can’t say the acting was completely dire however, the greatest scenes of the play, those featuring Abi Rigg, were a joy to watch. In said satirical dinner party scene, her scathing and haughty remarks to her feeble husband produce peels of laughter from the audience. Unfortunately her energy and presence wasn’t matched by the whole cast.
The company, Mere Anarchy brings its debut show to the fringe, and with it a debut from one of their writers, Jack Goulder. For all my confusion and complaints some of the eccentricities of the script did have potential. I could see this as two maybe three different plays more assured with their intention and concept; I’d stick with the meta removal men. But it was sunny out today and I wish I could have stayed there.
