Eve Miller
A lively and enjoyable debut horror play by new Scottish theatre company Get Tae Collective, The Séance Starter Kit™ packs laughs, frights, and some genuinely impressive practical effects into its hour runtime.
We sit in the studio audience of failing late-night shopping channel ‘While Stocks Last’, complete with an overworked runner, a strained producer, and a charming (on camera) and grouchy (off camera) host. But when a clairvoyant comes on the show as a last ditch attempt to boost sales by peddling her Séance Starter Kit™, unexplained happenings become a far more pressing danger than the channel going under.
This piece has all the makings of an excellent piece of theatre: committed actors, interesting ideas, and neat use of theatrical effects. There are a couple of excellently timed and executed jumpscares that still have me wondering how they pulled them off. The use of live camera work is more interesting in concept than effective in execution, but there are moments where this technique yields results, and I would love to see how Get Tae develop their practice using this medium (pun intended!).
Joshua Gardiner as host Gareth and Sophie Keenan as the fraudulent (?) clairvoyant Jules have undeniable chemistry and are a joy to watch together onstage. Their playful rivalry is the most fun part of this production and I would have loved this to have been more of the focal point, trimming some of the expository dialogue from the beginning section and making better use of the projection to snap through the TV station’s backstory.
Although undeniably rough-and-ready, this team has fresh ideas and a tangible dedication to their craft that makes me willing to forgive any messiness or underdeveloped moments. An unpolished gem, The Séance Starter Kit™ is certainly worth your time, and I have a feeling that we won’t be seeing the last of Get Tae. I, for one, can’t wait to see what they do next!
Drink recommendation: I reckon some holy water is in order.
You can catch The Séance Starter Kit™ at The Speakeasy at The Royal Scots Club from 17-30 August (not 22) at 21:30 (60 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Frankie Finsbury
Salvador Kent
