The Exorcist’s inexorable tale shocks on stage

TAKING an iconic film and transferring it onto the stage risks becoming its own horror show.

But The Exorcist, which is having its UK premiere at the Birmingham Rep, succeeds in creating a dark and intense production that keeps the audience on edge.

The play, directed by Sean Mathias, has West End ambitions and a cast to match – Jenny Seagrove as Regan’s actor-mother Chris, Peter Bowles as elderly Father Merrin and Adam Garcia as the troubled Father Karras – but it is Clare Louise Connolly’s portrayal of the pre-teen Regan which enthralls.

Her descent from an untroubled young girl to a possessed being in need of an exorcism kept a central, captivating thread, with her actions and language making this a strictly over-18s only performance.

Clever use of technology brought the evil spirits to life as dark, wispy apparitions and created bloody messages seeping into the walls. Doors blew open, drawers flew and flashes of light illuminated the gloom, while the memorable moments in the film of projectile vomit and silhouetted arrivals also made an appearance.

The tension built up during the first half as Regan got dragged into the world of the Demon, who was voiced by an uncredited, but unmistakable, Ian McKellan.

The interval enabled the audience to take a breather, but meant the tension dissipated and the second half took a while to re-establish its hold over the audience.

The play reaches its inexorable climax with the priests battling the Demon through Regan in a series of scenes that are shocking rather than scary.

The audience drained, there is a glimmer of hope in the final scene as Regan and her mother are reunited, hinting at the optimistic message that love can triumph over evil. But it is a rare note of redemption in this dark and draining tale.

The Exorcist runs until November 5 at the Birmingham Rep Theatre.