Based on stories that have roamed the Highlands for centuries
‘What’s that,’ asked my theatre companion nervously as we looked through our programmes. ‘It sounds like seagulls.’ It was, the sound effects of crashing waves and sea birds were already putting us in the mood for Ali Milles ghostly thriller The Croft, set on the lonely coastline of the Scottish Highlands. This play survived Covid to come back five years later with many of the original cast and creatives still keen to haunt us, writes Michael Holland.
Suzanne (Caroline Harker) and her much younger girlfriend Laura (Gracie Follows) arrive at the former croft, which Laura’s family have had converted and enjoyed for many years. They are looking forward to a romantic break in the secluded cottage and quickly fall into each other’s arms. A face appears at the window – the first of many over the course of the evening – and local gillie David (Gray O’Brien), a family friend, enters to interrupt their flow.
There is talk of myth and legend, ghost and witches and the couple’s arrival opens the flashback door to the secrets of the past, unspoken tension between Laura and her parents, the ill-treatment of Enid (Liza Goddard), a crofter in the 1800s who was deemed a witch in the efforts to clear the Highlands of these small plots of land worked by poor farming folk.
Chris Davey’s lighting allows the changes from the present to the recent past when Laura’s mum Ruth (Harker) lived there when estranged from the family; and back further to the 19th century when Eileen (Follows) had a child out of wedlock, causing the local priest (Simon Roberts) to have a bit of a meltdown, and Enid bemoans her lot when threatened with being burnt along with the croft: ‘The turf runs with blood’. The past events connect with the present residents to create a thread to the narrative.
A fantastic set by Adrian Linford evokes isolation and allows the cast to intermingle while remaining unseen to each other, although Laura often gets a feeling of someone else being in the room…
The usual tropes: lights flickering, doors slamming, candles going out, and the modern addition to the horror genre – no phone signal – keep the thrills coming. Plus, talk of the ‘Selkie’ a seal that can become human, but if it loses its ‘cloak’ it will remain amongst us forever.
Based on the stories that have roamed the Highlands for centuries, there is the implication that Laura is a Selkie.
The Croft is more about religious hypocrisy and familial relationships than trying to convince people that myths can be real. It is, though, perfect for those people who believe in the supernatural. To others it is theatre with a touch of history as an add-on.
Churchill Theatre, Bromley high Street BR1 1HA until 7th June.
Booking and full details: https://trafalgartickets.com/churchill-theatre-bromley/en-GB
