The Nag’s Head – Make It Beautiful / Park Theatre, London

Spooky thrills and laughs: it’s time for another pre-Halloween treat in the form of The Nag’s Head, brought to London’s Park Theatre by Make it Beautiful Theatre Company.

The Nag’s Head

‘Tis the season and all that.  OK, not quite that season yet, we have the spooky season of Halloween first.  And an evening of mild frights at the theatre is sometimes just the thing.  A couple of days ago we saw an adaptation of an M. R. James tale of the supernatural at the Pleasance Theatre.  And today it’s the turn of north London’s Park Theatre, offering up original ghost story The Nag’s Head by Make it Beautiful Theatre Company.

The Nag’s Head is a tale of siblings haunted, not only by the ghosts of their family’s past, but by some literal ghosts to boot.  We first meet Jack (Felix Grainger), Connor (Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson) and Sarah (Cara Steele) at their father’s wake.  As they struggle to come to terms with his death they must also come to terms with his legacy, both tangible (the eponymous failing pub) and emotional.

I might be giving you the impression this is serious stuff.  It really doesn’t take itself too seriously.  In fact Grainger and Fogarty-Graveson, who also wrote the piece, lean into every bit of silliness and humour they can find.  Sibling nonsense made funnier by the passage of time.  Jokes about gum disease.  There’s a definite vein of toilet humour being mined (plumbed?) in there.  It did take a while to grow on me, but in the end was so endearingly bonkers, and committed, that it did.  The three actors certainly seem to be having fun with it, which is half the battle in ensuring the audience have a good time.

Comedy Horror At The Park

There’s quite a nice interplay between comedy and horror.  The odd jump scare, but a laugh immediately afterwards to alleviate the tension.  Simon Clegg and Edgar Wright certainly understand this, per their Cornetto Trilogy.  And this is humour in the same vein, so is best for those who enjoyed those films.  Or things with Matt Berry in them: I didn’t make this connection until one of the minor characters brought him to mind and I suddenly thought of The IT Crowd.

But I digress.  Taking The Nag’s Head on its own merits, there is definite potential here.  Part of its charm is that it’s not yet polished, but it could still do with a little revision, some slicker sound effects and being able to make out all of Steele’s lines.  Her character is relentlessly forceful: perhaps a little more rounding out of all three siblings would allow a little more light and shade.

What do work well are the minor characters, also played by the three actors.  Grainger is particularly memorable as Dr. G Host (just in case you thought Grainger and Fogarty-Graveson might have missed an opportunity).  His over the top ghosts tour sets various parts of the plot in motion as well as foreshadowing a portion of what’s to come.  Plus he’s very funny.

I am interested to see where future collaborations take the Make it Beautiful company.  For now, The Nag’s Head is a bit of seasonally appropriate fun.  Catch it at Park Theatre until 28 October.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 3/5

The Nag’s Head on until 28 October 2023