The Haunting of Susan A
WHAT: The Haunting of Susan A
WHO: By Mark Ravenhill
WHEN: 1st – 26th June, 2022
WHERE: King’s Head Theatre
PRICE: £10 – 28.50
OUTDOORS: No
OUR RATING: Do It!
Buildings are the bones around which the flesh of history is built. People construct, thrive, and die across innumerable generations, transient and fleeting, whilst the structures remain, absorbing tales from their inhabitants. The King’s Head Theatre, founded over 50 years ago, occupies the back room of the pub of the same name, but will soon be moving to a new location. As such, Mark Ravenhill’s (Artistic Director, The King’s Head Theatre) response to both this anniversary and the expected transformation of the space after the theatre’s departure is poignant and timely. Ghosts, both real and imagined, haunt the liminal spaces created by Ravenhill’s superb narration, leading one to question how the place was really used and what deeds were done there.
Whilst leading us on this historical overview, including that the theatre was the venue for illegal bare knuckle boxing, Ravenhill is seemingly disrupted by an audience member (Suzanne Ahmet), who declares that there is a shocking truth behind the room in which we now sit – a haunting that she herself experienced 20 years previously. Indeed, the idea of truth is toyed with throughout the production, with the names (Suzanne Ahmet vs. Susan A), places, and histories evoking a strong realism that leaves one wondering where the fiction ends and the facts begin. During the performance we saw, we were told that technical difficulties caused a delay in curtain-up, but we suspect (perhaps wrongly) that this may have been a crafty bit of misdirection to ramp the tension up. Either way, the delivery of this unsettling work was only enhanced by the anticipation.
Ahmet’s telling takes us through her own transformation, from scientifically-minded student, to last-minute replacement actor, to traumatised hermit, now ready to face her past – and that of the ghost haunting her. The facets of this evolution are complex, delving into gendered power dynamics (both through the domineering director and the historically crushing life of the being haunting the space) and the theatrical gaze of which the audience is now a part. As well as a compelling narrative, there are ample shocks and jump-scares, which come when one is perfectly at ease for maximum effect.
Final Thoughts: Simple, chilling, and, to some measure, heartbreaking, one cannot help but be engrossed by Ahmet and Ravenhill’s exemplary performances. An utterly enjoyable night of ghostly intrigue.