Review: Under The Shadow (Almeida Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I used to be convinced that horror did not seem to work on stage. Certainly, I have seen my fair share of horror shows in completely different meanings, but when it came to the genre itself, it seemed to have a far smaller success rate than in cinema. I attributed that to the tricks that can be added in the editing process, and how they would have more obstacles in their way, attempting to scare an audience in person, relying on complete immersion into the world. A double-hitter of Paranormal Activity last December and A Ghost In Your Ear earlier this year made me rethink everything I thought I knew about horror on stage - both getting well-deserved five-star ratings from me. Hoping to continue to disprove my earlier theory is the world premiere of Under The Shadow at Almeida Theatre. Having spooked audiences with its film version, would this stage adaptation similarly manage to terrify people and, more importantly, prove terrifyingly good?

First seen as an acclaimed film from Babak Anvari in 2016, Under The Shadow is set in the 1980s in a post-revolutionary, war-torn Tehran. The action focuses on Shideh and her daughter, Dorsa. As her husband leaves them to serve on the frontline, they discover the missile strikes that threaten destruction aren’t the only terrors lurking, with the fear that they may have brought a more ancient evil with them, hiding away in the building. With supernatural goings-on increasing and the family beginning to see and hear things, will they ever be able to make it out alive?

Carmen Nasr has adapted Anvari’s original story for the stage, retaining the essence of it while being unafraid to add new elements into the mix and even make a drastic change or two (no spoilers from me). What is incredibly clever about Under The Shadow is just how it fits into the category of “horror”. Yes, there are all of the supernatural elements as the family becomes potential victims of the ancient evil, but there is far more to it than that. The play also examines the horrors of war - by suggesting the missiles have brought an evil with them, they are also serving as a metaphor for the atrocities war can bring and the innocent lives that are lost because of this. While the play has the makings of a conventional horror, such as a handful of well-executed jump scares and a growing sense of dread, it is elevated with its more intimate moments. The scenes where the building residents huddle together to discuss their thoughts on the war bring with it a whole new meaning to the word “horror”, allowing for a story that is far more intelligent and meaningful than the tried and tested trope of “this demon wants to kill me” (we’ve all been there).

It is a rather slow-burning affair, but this is very much deliberate in both Nasr’s writing and Nadia Latif’s direction. It is important to get to know the characters, their situation and the stakes before introducing the supernatural elements, so if you are looking for an early scare, you’ll have a while to wait. What Under The Shadow chooses to do instead is build the tension, slowly but surely. You know something is coming, and that foreboding sense grows throughout, with dread lurking underneath the surface. I won’t say how or when that first payoff happens, but it is faultlessly done, resulting in screams and nervous laughter from the fittingly shocked audience. The intensity only increases after that, with Nasr and Latif giving the sense that time is running out, while still ensuring audiences remain on the edge of their seats throughout.

An elaborate set from Ben Stones fantastically realises Shideh’s apartment, with some hidden tricks to be found throughout. A reveal midway through proves as effective as it is surprising, with a strong use of lighting from James Farncombe helping the illusions come to life and being unafraid to plunge the audience into darkness frequently. You will have seen this done in other shows before - you know something is there that wasn’t there before, but you don’t know exactly where it is or when it will appear - through Latif’s precise direction, the impact always lands and never misses. The eerie and foreboding atmosphere is heightened through Donate Wharton’s sound design, subtle in its approach but always fitting the mood and cementing just how slick a production this is.

Where Under The Shadow misses the mark slightly is in its performances. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but certain moments felt underrehearsed and nowhere near as polished as all of the creative elements. Perhaps more effort went into making sure these were all nailed and this came at the cost of rehearsal time for the cast. Certain lines felt as if they were being read from a script with little consideration for inflexion, while crucial lines lacked any sense of emotion. The result came across a bit cold, failing to connect. In a show where tension proved vital, some of the performances lost the necessary escapism and did a disservice to the otherwise strong material. I am not going to be cruel and name anyone I felt fell short on this occasion, particularly in a show where two children are played by a rotating cast of six, so the impact may vary on the performance you attend. I will also say one of the children, in particular, has a very demanding role with a lot of stage time and a lot to remember.

One performance that did impress was Leila Farzad in her role as Shideh. Admirably leading the production, she managed to bring the sense of urgency that was necessary to the plot, while retaining the complex balance of being a mother and wife, while desperately longing for a life of her own and a career to fall back on. Farzad was mesmerising to watch throughout in a performance that more than demonstrated her strengths as an actor. Nadia Albina also enjoys one particularly killer moment as the anguished Pargol, breaking my heart with the believability of her performance.

It can be easy to dismiss an entire genre like I had previously done with horror on stage, but the lesson I have learned is that it is incredibly difficult to label any show to make it fit in a box. Under The Shadow is the perfect example of that. Yes, it is a horror, but it deals with so much more than that, redefining just what it means to be classed as a horror. Blending the supernatural with the smaller, more human moments, it is an incredibly slick and polished production with some brilliant illusions leading to heart-pounding jump-scares. All of its creative elements astonish in their own right, leading to a watch that isn’t simply entertaining, but also carries an important message that will linger in the walls of your mind long after you’ve left the theatre.

Under The Shadow plays at Almeida Theatre until 4th July. Tickets from https://almeida.co.uk/whats-on/under-the-shadow/

Photos by Marc Brenner