It’s the perfect time of year for a ghost story and GrimFest, at several venues this month, offers plenty. Erstwhile Media tick a lot of boxes with their short piece. There’s a graveyard, a spooky house, lanterns and pacts with the devil. Regrettably, it’s hard to consider the production a success. But The Ebony Frame interests and entertains.
The writer, Oliver Giggins has picked great source material. Like a series of monologues from Claire Louise Amias that I enjoyed last year, his work is inspired by a short story by E. Nesbit. A very short story, that, unfortunately, Giggins elaborates more with plot than atmosphere. Even worse, the production does not match his ambition.
A new heir, a dead wife and a gay ghost in a – literally – flammable love triangle can’t fail to hold attention. But the action and exploration of ideas is rushed. There’s just too much for lead character Arthur, valiantly performed by Alexander Donaldson, to handle.
The Victorian neurosis on offer is interesting but how it’s dealt with is half-hearted. A nurse, performed Beth Eltringham, who Arthur tells his story to, becomes monotonous in her chiding. Two comedy servants are uncomfortably unamusing. Adding a mother-in-law into the mix is also unsuccessful: Finlay Allan, who takes the part, has little to do but posture. Everyone gets carried away, including Eltringham who, as the show’s director, should be restraining herself and others.
The incidental characters take us away from the main story, which is a lot more twisted than anyone here suggests. But appearances from Arthur’s partners are brief and unconvincing. His wife (Cosette Bolt) is bland, which everyone involved should have questioned. Making the ghost a man isn’t explored enough and there is no chemistry between Donaldson and Pedro Branco, who takes the role.
We are told Branco’s spectral character, Raoul, was a sailor, a scholar, burned at the stake for being a witch and damned himself to hell. All of this needs unpacking. If plenty could be jettisoned to make room, it would still take a lot of work to sort out. The potential of The Ebony Frame is clear but far more control is needed.
Until 18 October 2025
