The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 1920’s German classic silent horror film, from the expressionist era. The film tells the tale of insane hypnotist Dr Caligari, who uses Cesare, a somnambulist to commit murders for him. ChewBoy Productions have taken this classic film and adapted it for the stage, with the script of this metatheatrical piece, written by Georgie Bailey.
Upon entering the performance space, the young cast are frozen mid-performance, with each of them clutching instruments including the accordion, double bass and violin. Each of them has their faces painted white with blacked out eyes, similar to mimes, in a nod to the silent movie era.
During the show, it becomes clear that the characters Alan, Jane and Francis all know their fate, in what is a play within a play. They become aware that they are trapped and that outside of this story they do not exist. They are forced to retell this story repeatedly. Which leads to arguments between them as their frustration at this becomes obvious.
The tunnelled space in which Caligari is performed in, aids the eerie atmosphere of the piece and creates suspense which lingers in the air. The staging includes Caligari’s cabinet, which sets the scene suitably.
Caligari utilises music throughout, and this highlights the talent of the cast on stage. However, I did feel that the music began to sound somewhat similar after a while. The horror aspects of the performance were effective, and the show felt akin to a Tim Burton work at times. There were also times in which I found the plot slightly confusing and difficult to follow.
Caligari does a great job of utilising the space and creating an eerie atmosphere and incorporating all the aspects of a great silent film within the performance. But the show would benefit from better pacing. The young cast on stage are all immensely talented musicians and actors, unfortunately the direction of this production is what hinders it.
{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}
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