The Stage

A Pleasing Terror

Published Tuesday 31 October 2006 at 12:50 by David Self

The ambience of this venue built 800 years ago as a place of worship for leper outcasts and a stage lit by just three candles, make a major contribution to this re-telling of two Edwardian ghost stories.

A Cambridge scholar and medievalist, M R James originally wrote and told his stories of the supernatural as Christmas entertainment for his fellow dons. Not surprisingly, their language veers towards the pompous and over-literary. Despite this, Robert Lloyd Parry reveals himself as a natural story-teller, well able to hold, amuse and frighten his audience.

First, he recounts Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook, the tale of a university antiquary unable to conceal his delight at what he initially supposes is his good luck in discovering a priceless collection of documents in a French chapel. Secondly, The Mezzotint is a donnish tale of a picture which, when unwatched, gradually reveals an historic horror.

Given that his props consist only of a chair, table, glass of water and candle-snuffer, the performance is all the more remarkable. Indeed, it is a measure of that performance that we never experience the sinking depression that can so easily occur during a one-man show when the audience gloomily admits to itself, “There’s no-one else coming on.”

Robert Lloyd Parry’s presence is imposing. He naturally and easily re-creates what we are told was the author’s special skill in conveying comic voices. Indeed, there is a touch of Alan Bennett in this understated but impressive performance.