Review: Crybabies: The Scaring (Soho Theatre)

Review by Izzy Tierney ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ After a summer spent possessing audiences at the Fringe, Crybabies can now be found haunting London's Soho Theatre with their latest show, a comedy horror about a former priest fighting demons in a hotel with his new ghost pal. A comedy horror can often be a hard to get right, hit-or-miss kind of genre, but The Scaring perfectly hits every nail into its theatrical coffin, never even hinting at a miss. Written by and starring Crybabies, the comedy trio consisting of Ed Jones, James Gault and Michael Clarke, The Scaring is a completely unpredictable, deliciously bonkers hour of non-stop laughs. The script is consistently hilarious; the kind of seemingly stupid, ridiculous dialogue only true comedy masters are clever enough to write. There's puns, wit, innuendo, unfortunate names, and so many great one-liners that you barely get time to take a breath before you're laughing again. Despite being overwhelmingly funny, the heartfelt and scary moments never get lost in the jokes, nicely elevating the comedy and allowing the audience to laugh, care for the characters in front of them, and feel the adrenaline rush from a jump scare. Given that the runtime is only an hour, a hell of a lot happens in The Scaring, with twists and turns galore that would sound nonsensical were I to try and summarise them. Instead, I'm going to ask you a few questions: Are you more scared of demons or gluten? Have you ever been educated as to why 'flipping', 'hello' and 'shoelaces' are actually incredibly salacious words? As a child, did you regularly dream you were being chased through a sauna-maze cum mass grave by a red bouncy ball? I'm sure these are not questions you've considered before, nor are they sentences I thought I'd be typing, but every word of the above makes sense in the world of The Scaring, and perfectly encapsulates its weird and wacky nature. When you're asked at the beginning of the show if you're willing to abandon your sanity, there is only one correct answer: YES. From the moment it started, I was enthralled and invested in the story; knowing at no point where the plot was heading, with each new revelation taking the narrative in a different direction, until nothing and then everything made sense. A particularly smart and entertaining aspect of the script is the way the set and scene changes are incorporated into the story, adding another amusing layer to the show and cleverly subverting expectations. Somehow, the madness that has unfolded over the last sixty minutes comes to a cohesive and satisfying end; the only disappointing thing being that the show is over! Jones, Gault and Clarke play many different roles throughout (pulling off some impressive quick changes), with each character being brilliantly written and performed, and every joke expertly delivered to a roaring audience. Clarke is fantastic as former priest Arthur, a sweet, pitiful man whose journey is the heart of the show, and shines alongside Jones as loveable, awkward priest partners who redefine Holland & Barrett. Jones is gloriously creepy as the unsettling hotel manager, with a beautifully deadpan Gault as his six-year old son who likes to choke people. The chemistry between the three of them feels natural and effortless, their timing is impeccable, and the energy they give from start to finish keeps the audience lively and engaged and involved in the experience. Each member of Crybabies brings something unique to the show, resulting in a truly funny blend of characters performed by exceptional comedic talents. Bethany Gupwell's lighting and Ed Lewis' sound design are incredibly effective at transforming scenes and creating sudden changes in the mood and atmosphere, ensuring the small, intimate setting of Soho Theatre is properly utilised. Similarly, Jon Brittain's skillful direction allows for a slick production with confident performers, and an audience who feel as though they are part of the action. Cecilia Carey's set and costume designs are very clever, detailed (make sure to look at the family photos in the kitchen scene) and camp, adding to the overall fun of the show. Courtesy of the same producers behind Fleabag, Baby Reindeer, Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! and Weather Girl (another Soho Theatre production I had the pleasure of reviewing last year), The Scaring is a fabulous new addition to Francesca Moody Productions' ever-growing credentials of ingeniously brilliant theatre; one that hopefully has a bright future ahead. With only two weeks left of this Soho séance, I confess I'm praying for repeatedly unsuccessful exorcisms in the Crybabies universe. The Scaring deserves to possess many more audiences before it ghosts us for good. Crybabies: The Scaring plays at Soho Theatre until 23rd September. Tickets from https://sohotheatre.com/events/crybabies-the-scaring/ Photos by Mihaela Bodlovic