Let The Right One In – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Let The Right One In is an adaptation of a book by Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist of the same title.  It has also been adapted twice into film, one in the Swedish Language and one American produced.  It has also been adapted for the stage twice, once in Swedish and then English.  This is the Jack Thorne English adaptation rather than a translation of the Swedish version.  Unfortunately, the fact it is an adaptation of a complex storyline is all obvious within the first five minutes.

The show suffers badly from far too many micro scenes.  In a two-hour play there are probably less than ten scenes that even make it to five minutes long, many are sub one minute.  Between each scene the stage has to go dark allowing for props to be brought on and off the stage.  This gives the show a very disjointed feel and slows the whole thing down in a way which isn’t particularly audience friendly.

Having said that the Altrincham Garrick Ensemble, consisting of young actors between the ages of 18 and 30, do an outstanding job with the show they have, and Joseph Meighan’s Direction works hard to make it flow as well as it does.

Set in 1981, Oskar is a bullied and ostracised teenager in a small town in Sweden.  He and his mum get new neighbours a teenage girl Eli and her dad Hakan.  Oskar meets Eli in the courtyard outside one evening and despite everything a friendship is born.  However, all is not what it seems.  Eli is not actually a teenager and Hakan is not her father.  The show opens with Hakan murdering a man for his blood.  But Hakan is getting older and is no longer capable of finding the necessary supply for Eli and before long the need to feed drives her to kill.  The developing relationship between Eli and Oskar is handled well but a lot of the plot is predictable.

Charlie Gallagher as Oskar is stunning.  He physically makes himself into the awkward, ungainly teen and his slightly disruptive speech pattern never falters.  Chloe Arrowsmith is also excellent as Eli, but her scenes of attacking the humans and taking their blood is lacking a feeling of realism.  Sam Evans’ Jonny and Edd Selby’s Micke are both well acted and believable as the bullies who make Oskar’s life such a misery. 

Joseph Meighan shows a sure hand directing what cannot be an easy show to bring together.  On a relatively simple but evocative base set by Steph Niland, items are brought on and off with alarming regularity to move the action from outside to inside and various locations.  By far the most outstanding feature though is Mark Goggins score.  Haunting, expressive and incredibly beautiful it provides an emotional backdrop to the acting.

Let The Right One Inis not an evening of lightweight entertainment.  It is dark, graphic and at times filled with horror, but here in the more than capable hands of these young actors, and despite all my issues with the structure of the play itself, it is an evening that is well worth watching.

Reviewer: Helen Jones

Reviewed: 5th February 2024

North West End UK Rating: