The Ritual – Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh

Is there a better example of Vampire Clowning in the UK? I doubt it. The Ritual, my favourite show of the annual Edinburgh Horror Festival, sees the charismatic duo, Gregory Lass and Steffens Hanes team up once again, ably assisted by ‘Emily’, their gate closing, vape puffing (smoke machine) tech wizard who brings it all together rather beautifully.

Imagine Fawlty Towers’ Manuel and Basil as vampires and you get an idea of the hilarious roles that Lass and Hanes take on stage. The sycophantic servant, who tries hard but always falls short, and the master who demands perfection and ends up a little deranged trying to achieve it.

The beauty here, is that although the roles are very clearly defined, there is also plenty of ‘air’ in this performance, leaving ample room for improvisation and play with the very enthusiastic audience. There is plenty of interaction with the viewers and It is clear also that the majority of the adoring audience have seen this show many times before, responding to cues like a series of catechisms. It all adds up to a highly amusing hour of entertainment, which can be very different from one night to the next. Which might explain their growing ‘cult’ following.

If you have never seen this show before, I highly recommend it. Get ready for some spooky lights, spooky music and spooky smoke machine, in a show which is made to look and feel like chaos but is quite the opposite. A little gleaming gem hidden in the dungeon!

Reviewer: Greg Holstead

Reviewed: 2nd November 2024

North West End UK Rating:

Running time – 55 mins