Once the curtain came down on Murder in the Dark and my heart rate had finally returned to normal, I was worried. Not for the performance, which was a chilling masterpiece, but because I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to do it justice with an entirely spoiler-free review. But, because of my spotless journalistic integrity (and a request on the first page of the programme), I promise not to discuss any of the surprises that occurred over the course of the two hour show. So for the remainder of the review, you will just have to trust me that the twists were incredibly effective and truly horrifying.

"I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to do it justice with an entirely spoiler-free review"

The play follows a New Year’s Eve of a not-so-“wonderful, happy, close-knit family,” who are stranded in the wilderness following a car accident. Danny Sierra (Tom Chambers), a washed-up pop singer, has to navigate the usual challenges of an extended family gathering, including a poor relationship with his son, Jake (Jonny Green) and tensions with his brother, Will (Owen Oakeshott), on top of hallucinations (or maybe hauntings?) and isolation from the outside world. Chambers is a dab hand in the murder mystery genre, but Murder in the Dark takes a significantly darker turn than the gentle world of Father Brown. Reality begins to deteriorate and the thin walls of the cottage can no longer keep out the ghosts, past and present.

"Chambers is a dab hand in the murder mystery genre, but Murder in the Dark takes a significantly darker turn than the gentle world of Father Brown"

The opening stays true to its genre, creating a truly ominous atmosphere with the standard horror tropes: the characters are stuck in an isolated cabin, twenty miles from the nearest village, the phone signal is spotty, and the electricity keeps cutting out. I can only imagine it’s a similar experience to living in Girton College. The only contact with the outside world is an old woman who might know more than she is letting on, or might just be a lonely old woman who went mad long ago. In short, the audience was collectively on the edge of their seat, ready to be truly terrified. However, it is at that point that the lights come on and the jokes start. In particular, the performance of Susie Blake as Mrs Bateman was a comedic highlight, from her eccentrically-named vehicle, ‘Tracy the Tractor,’ to her persistent flirting, at one point remarking “if only I were a few years younger, and slightly less arthritic.” The light tone is maintained throughout the show, even as the jumpscares begin, with one character cowering in fear, but another jumping in with a cutting jibe. Perhaps Sasha Brooks, an understudy for the show who I interviewed beforehand, puts it best, when she describes Mrs Bateman as “absolutely bonkers.”

"The audience was collectively on the edge of their seat, ready to be truly terrified"

Chambers’ performance is especially engaging as the underlying family trauma comes to the surface. The overall dynamic of two brothers, an ex-wife, an estranged son, and a young girlfriend having to find something to do when there’s no electricity and all the phones are dead feels painfully relatable, especially when Jake suggests they play a game. The tension between the characters is palpable as a character snaps after hearing a cheery song, or someone laughs a little too loud at a joke about an upsetting childhood. Although the plot may have been unfolding on the other side of the stage, it is Danny Sierra’s haunting, vacant stares which ensure the play can never completely forget its genre. While the twists and reveals were shocking (despite the power cuts, gettit?), nothing feels outlandish because the groundwork is laid so effectively.

"Chambers’ performance is especially engaging as the underlying family trauma comes to the surface"

In Brooks’ interview, she explains the script is particularly effective in balancing the humour and the horror. But as the show approached the interval, I was worried because the frights appeared to be the one element unaccounted for. However, the balance is swiftly redressed when the power goes out for good and our sense of reality spirals. The lighting and sound designers deserve a major congratulations for the environment they created. Plunging the stage into darkness did wonders for maintaining the audience’s fight or flight response throughout the entire second act (although it was less helpful for this reviewer’s note-taking ability), and the sound effects of crunching bones, combined with some excellent physical theatre, will haunt me for a while.

"The script is particularly effective in balancing the humour and the horror"

I came away from Murder in the Dark feeling as though I had watched a particularly warped version of A Christmas Carol, with script edits by Agatha Christie. Writer Torben Betts creates a masterful blend of horror, humour and familial trauma, that was flawlessly executed by a stellar cast and talented production team. For anyone who is not put off by immersive, inescapable jumpscares and devastating personal struggles, Murder in the Dark is a haunting must-see that will prevent you from hearing ‘Three Blind Mice’ in the same way ever again.

Murder in the Dark is showing Tuesday 6th February to Saturday 10th at the Cambridge Arts Theatre.