The Séance

It's difficult to know what to expect when walking into The Séance. Nestled amongst two technologically-heavy works in La Boite's 2013 Indie program (Blindscape and This Is Capital City), The Séance's talk of contacting the dead and exploring celebrity culture seems a little naff. However, it's actually razor-sharp. With a killer script and a staggeringly precise performance courtesy of Sophie Webb, The Séance is a hilarious little production that still offers nuggets of profundity. Mark Pritchard and Bridget Balodis' script is a beautiful tug-of-war between genuine creepiness and outright absurdity. One cannot praise Sophie Webb's performance enough. If she'd over-extended even slightly in the wrong direction, the production would have gone from clever silliness to outright indulgence – but she never so much as fumbles. There is the sense that the writers lost their way in the final third. One of Pritchard and Balodis' finest manoeuvres is their establishment of an intriguing 'is/isn't it?' conundrum in the work's opening moments but they never quite find a satisfying resolution for their premise. Still, even when its flapping around indecisively and diving enthusiastically into insanity, The Séance is always entertaining. Thoroughly recommended. 

La Boite Indie to Saturday 25 May