Frightening play at The Churchill Theatre calls for big screams but no cigar (From News Shopper)

Frightening play at The Churchill Theatre calls for big screams but no cigar

8:40am Friday 21st September 2012 in Freetime latest news By Nikki Jarvis

A traumatic incident when I was five-years-old left me with a nasty phobia of ghost trains – and pretty much anything slightly scary.

So I was feeling especially tense when we went along to see Haunting Julia at Bromley’s Churchill Theatre on Monday evening.

Having previously chatted to one of the three stars, Joe McFadden, I knew we were in for a fright.

“There are quite a few moments when the audience screams.” He told me.

“It’s great having that kind of power over people.”

‘Oh hell’, I thought.

The eerie play is all about a devastated father, played by Duncan Preston from Emmerdale, his dead daughter’s ex boyfriend Andy (former Heartbeat star McFadden) and an old friend (Richard O’Callaghan) trying to find out why Julia committed suicide 12 years before.

The set looked wonderful – a public attraction/shrine which her father Joe had created in the very bedroom where the musical genius died.

And throughout the entire show a low, rumbling, disturbing noise rang out.

Particularly disconcerting, the growling did wonders to build up tension and maintain a very unsettling atmosphere throughout – the hackles were most definitely raised.

No wonder my friend and I screamed so loudly when the first big scare was pulled out of the bag.

While the acting is absolutely fantastic from all three cast members, the sound effects are spot on and the tension of a horror is most definitely present, the story’s climax was a little disappointing.

Thanks to everything else being so brilliantly well-done, we were waiting for a shocking twist which was going to explain the piano player’s death.

Sadly, none came – it didn’t turn out to be the bloody murder we were hoping for.

In some ways I was thankful though – at least I wouldn’t be having nightmares later that night.

You can catch Haunting Julia at The Churchill Theatre until tomorrow night (Saturday, September 22).

For tickets visit atgtickets.com