Ivories
Old Red Lion Theatre
1st – 26th July 2025
“Dust on the mantle. The basement, off-limits. Returning home to settle their dying grandmother’s estate, Sloane spirals into a story they swore they’d never tell. Their husband unearths malevolent family secrets, and their best friend discovers there’s more to the creaky old house than meets the eye. The haunted house transforms into tragicomic depravity.
A bisexual spin on the Golden Age of Horror, this propulsive and spine-tingling new drama dares you to think twice about what may be lurking underneath your home that you’d rather stay buried. After a haunting smash-hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe and three limited engagements in New York, IVORIES will get a second poltergeist in its London premiere, that unites critically acclaimed director Georgie Rankcom and subversive breakout playwright Riley Elton McCarthy (The Lesbian Play at The Triad Theater, recommended by Time Out & New York Times) for a bone-chilling evening of horror. “
Review by Richard Lambert, 2 Stars
Full to the brim with stuff like bi-sexuality, non-binary, murder, Ouija boards, triggering, mental illness, death, dying, dogs, teeth……this play throws everything into the mix. It’s a roller coaster turned into a ghost train with screams, ghostly lighting, fog, disappearances and appearances, the cellar, bangs, shadows, pictures changing, books falling, dog barking, thunder storms and lashing rain at every turn. Yet, nobody enters with wet hair, and there’s so much going on that it desentises rather than effectively shocks with its relentless assault on the senses.
I found myself more worried about the fact that the illuminated Fire Exit signs had been turned off, that the central emergency light had been gelled dark, that in the blackouts you truly couldn’t see the steps to exit should you need to evacuate the space.
The story weaves in and out of reality and monologues, taken from the play being written, making it difficult to second-guess which was which.
However, having said that, the set was marvellous, even if over-distressed, the lighting worked really well with very few fixtures and the sound did what it was supposed to.
At 90 minutes it was a shame that the venue’s aircon was either broken or for some reason not turned on cos it became way too hot! Comedy and horror does work much better in a chilled theatre!
I’m sure there is an audience for this style of show but for many I suspect that “less is more” would be the preferable.
Riley Elton McCarthy, Matthias Hardarson, Daniel Neil Ash, Ashley M. Cowles
Creative team