The Moors | The Hope Theatre

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© Steve Gregson

Solitude, isolation, and the desire to be seen; these are some of the key themes of The Moors, Jen Silverman's eerie play. The savageness of the landscape, coupled with a different perception of time and space, and a sense of impending tragedy, is an intriguing starting point for a story, especially if staged around Halloween. The overall branding around The Moors is very conscious of this as well, and milks the cow as much as possible, advertising the show in a way that, in the attempt of making it more commercial and palatable, ends up not doing it justice. 

If the suggested vibe of the marketing and production material can point to fairly cheap jumpscares and paper-thin characters, Sophia Pardon's gorgeous set design immediately rebalances expectations, immersing the audience in a worn-out yet enchanting space, with threadbare wallpaper, atmospheric chandeliers, and rubble underneath our feet. 

Silverman's play clearly has many influences; one of the most interesting is the character of the talking mastiff, which, in existential anguish and weirdness, has strong ties with Gertrude Stein's Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights. The production follows the same example, pastiching with gothic, thriller and horror elements, but failing to explore any of them in depth. The various winks at other works within the same realm (the character of Marjorie is so similar to Magenta from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, that its rendition is closer to cosplaying than to anything else) reinforce the thought that the production is unable to establish a strong artistic identity for itself. 

All actors are well-cast and committed; Imogen Mackenzie is unflinching as Agatha and portrays her strictness and vulnerability with great nuance. Kenia Fenton convinces as Huldey, Agatha's excitable sister with a flair for the dramatic; her energetic performance of the murder song is filled with irony and makes for one of the strongest (and funniest) moments of the second act of the show. 

All in all, The Moors is an enjoyable production, if a bit stretched. It fails to fully convince because it neglects its most interesting parts, undernourishing its queer identity and wasting the opportunity to make the story resonate at a deeper level. 

© Greta Rilletti Zaltieri, 2022

Location: 207 Upper St, London N1 1RL, UK

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