Ivories
Rating: ★★★★
Venue: Old Red Lion Theatre, London
Cast: Riley Elton McCarthy, Matthias Hardarson, Daniel Neil Ash and Ashley M. Cowles

Dust on the mantle. The basement? Off-limits. Returning home to settle their dying grandmother's estate, Sloane spirals into a story they swore they'd never tell. Their husband unearths malevolent family secrets, and their best friend discovers there's more to the creaky old house than meets the eye. The haunted house transforms into tragicomic depravity. A bisexual spin on the golden age of horror, this propulsive and spine-tingling new drama dares you to think twice about what may be lurking underneath your home that you'd rather stay buried. 

When I walked into Ivories, I didn’t anticipate I would be ticking ‘Attend a show that plays Ethel Cain upon arrival’ off my bucket list, but here we are. If I enter a theatre and they’re playing a song from Cain’s Preacher’s Daughter, specifically the song Family Tree, I knew I was about to watch something dark unfurl on stage.

Ivories, originating at Edinburgh Fringe and moving on to three performances in New York, has made it across the pond for a haunting run at The Old Red Lion Theatre. Brought to life by Riley Elton McCarthy (playwright and producer), and an ensemble cast of four, Ivories tells the story of Sloane (Riley Elton McCarthy) and Gwyn (Matthias Hardarson), a newlywed queer couple who have a few skeletons in their closet, physically and metaphorically. The story takes place within the walls of Sloane’s family home, a 19th century worse for wear, dilapidated house. Four walls that contain years of generational trauma, grief, and loss as the audience will come to be familiar with. Sloane seems scattered, borderline manic, unable to stop moving as they care for their sick grandmother just one month after their father’s death, while the grandmother can be heard coughing and moving around in the other room, but is not seen by the audience. As Gwyn and Sloane mosey about the house, we see multiple crosses, photos of Jesus, and other Christian memorabilia that highlights the distance and religious hostility between Sloane and their late family.

Gwyn presents as the handsome boy next door botanist husband, doting on Sloane in an attempt to support them through a deeply sad and difficult time. It becomes evident that there is a deep tension between the couple, yet every time they attempt to bridge the gap, a book flies off a shelf, the lights flicker, or the house groans.

Soon after, Beckham (Daniel Neil Ash) arrives to the house, long time friend of Gwyn and a friend to Sloane as well. Beckham portrays a very lovable, gay character who is a content creator, eager to pull out the tripod at the sight of Sloane’s family home. He delivers quick one liners that I appreciated throughout the show. He comes to support the couple in the difficult time, and much like the tension between Gwyn and Sloane, we soon see that there is a tension, a pull, between Gwyn and Beck. Ivories has a methodical way of stringing along different elements of the mystery of the house as well as the mystery of the dynamic between our three main characters, and I found this storytelling mechanism to be very strong. I found myself wondering: Is grandma even alive? What history do Gwyn and Beck have? Beyond Sloane's dad and Grandma, what happened to Sloane’s mother? The family that lived in the house before?

Typically I can identify a standout character; however, with a cast of this size I can only applaud the cohesiveness and compatibility of the three main characters. I appreciated each of their performances - especially Gwyn’s transition from supportive, doting husband to a panicked and frazzled shell of the character we meet at the beginning of the story.

The haunting elements of Sloane’s family house cause Gwyn to really unravel, brought on by the ghosts of the house, flickering lights, and the possession that is slowly taking over him. I cannot say enough about the value of horror on this stage. The excitement of a thriller unfurling in front of the audience is brought to life largely by the set (Verity Johnson), lighting (Skylar Turnbull-Hurd) and sound design (Adam Lenson).

The only barrier that I faced during the show was the shift between rooms in the house. While they were only working with a small stage, I did struggle to understand when they were moving into a different area of the house. Additionally, as the story escalated and a Ouija board was introduced to the three characters, I found the storytelling began to feel a bit rushed. With the reveal that Sloane’s younger sister Sarah had been killed when Sloane and Sarah were young, I found that I was still left with quite a few questions about Sarah, and who was truly haunting the house. However, this could also be intentional - and maybe it’s a good thing that I left the show with some questions!

In my opinion, this show is a very strong four stars. I was locked in to the story, and as is the case in small theatres, the actors must deliver in order to create a truly immersive show - and deliver they did. The set, the commitment of the actors (in a very warm theatre!), and the special effects brought this story to life and I very much enjoyed the watch.

Now showing at The Old Red Lion until 26 July. If you value art that reflects a complicated family tree, light religious trauma, and a modern queer twist on a haunted house story (I know I do), get your tickets now.

You can book tickets to see Ivories, here.

Review by Miranda

**photo credit: Abbie Sage**