Spine-tinglingly good: Inglewood's Cue Theatre puts on hauntingly good play

(L-R) Elicia-May, Shae, Kate, Laurie, Christine and Michelle in Cue Theatre's Cradle Song. Photo / supplied

Review: Cradle Song by Albert Belz. Directed by Sharren Read, playing now at Inglewood's Cue Theatre.

Given this play is set in the grounds of an old Irish convent and the pre-publicity talks of ghosts and hauntings, it could be a case of stating the obvious to describe it as being spine-tingling.

But while the play itself is undoubtedly creepy, the real tingling of spines in the audience comes from the sheer talent on stage in this production. Director Sharren Read chose the cast well, not only for their talent but also for their chemistry with each other.

Elicia-May Hitchcock and Shae Trownson play the two young backpackers (Hahana and Angela) who find themselves staying in a gardener's cottage on the grounds of a convent. They bring great energy to their roles, throwing out the script's penis jokes and swear words in a way that is engaging rather than jarring.

A well-matched pairing in this play, they do a fantastic job of taking the audience with them as the plot requires them to make some potentially unbelievable choices when it comes to staying in a cold and scary cottage over staying in a warm and presumably non-haunted house in the town.

Both also have beautiful singing voices which are put to good use in the play. They were well cast in this production and it is to be hoped their names will continue to appear in cast lists around the region as they are both talented young actors who really shine under the spotlight.

The plot and script do require the audience to make a few leaps of imagination at times, but the backstage crew make this incredibly easy with a well-designed set combined with brilliant lighting and sound technical work. Thanks to the expertise and creativity of the 4th Wall Theatre technical team who worked with Cue Theatre on the special effects, lighting and sound, the one-room set expands at times to show a garage workshop, a hillside scene, a scary drive and plenty more scene-setting moments.

Laurie Neville, playing mechanic, car enthusiast and failed priest Bartley is brilliant in the role. He doesn't miss a beat throughout the play, and neither does his perfectly polished Irish accent. His character brings a nice bit of Irish blarney to the stage, lightening the mood and lifting the audience - creating an enjoyable rollercoaster of emotion where it is possible to find oneself scared and amused within seconds.

Kate Hansen's dour, severe and humourless nun Sister Theresa is another highlight and Kate does an excellent job of infusing the character with real depth, allowing the uptight nun to become a much more human and sympathetic character than you might first expect. Some of her later scenes with fellow nun Sister Eustace, played by Christine King, make for some of the best moments of the entire play.

Christine's character might be mute (by choice) for much of the play, but that vow of silence doesn't stop Christine from giving an outstanding performance, with her facial expressions and physicality on stage absolutely brilliant to watch. When her character fiercely writes a word on a piece of paper to communicate with one of the young backpackers, several members of the audience murmured the word out loud - so clearly did Christine act out the writing of the individual letters on paper so small only those on stage could possible see the word.

Another mainly silent character was the hostile antagonist of the play - Briar-Faith. This creepy role was truly brought to life by Michelle Brougham who made sure Briar-Faith was played with sympathy and understanding to balance out the anger and desire for revenge.

Sharren has put together a play that will haunt your thoughts long after the final curtain and has made excellent use of an undoubtedly talented cast. The intimacy of the Cue theatre itself is perfectly designed to stage a ghostly tale, with some members of the audience physically jumping in fright at times as the plot thickened and the suspense grew.

The plot itself isn't perfect, but the cast and crew, under the skilled direction of Sharren made the story as believable as could be, and gave the events a sympathetic, thoughtful and reflective telling that will leave you as chilled by the story as you are warmed by seeing the talent and energy on stage.