The Exorcist plays at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 21 October through to 5 November 2016. What with Halloween falling in the middle of the run, and the nights getting longer and colder, the show is perfectly timed for seasonal interest, as well as lifelong horror or freak-out fans.

The classic supernatural horror film, the production of which was beleaguered by real-life uncanny incidents, is based on the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty. 10-year old Regan MacNeil (Claire Louise Connolly) is the inquisitive daughter of movie star Chris MacNeil (an excellent Jenny Seagrove), a headstrong, loving woman. They move into a new house for the filming of a movie. Soon, Regan begins to suffer rapid psychological and physical transformations, each taking more of her away, and her mother contacts Catholic priests for help.

The playwright John Pielmeier, who adapted the show from the original novel, rather than the film, says that “this story is not just some scary tale … It’s really a story about faith and disbelief, about doubt and courage and extraordinary love.” What he misses in this synopsis, though, is the centrality of abuse in this story. Ultimately, specifically, the abuses of men. There is a reason that a mother and daughter sit at the heart of, and work so well in, this narrative. 

The production does not shy away from allusions, overtones, and indeed explicit realisations of the perverse violations that face (and may have previously faced) Regan. Connolly inhabits the character well, her few scenes before the possession giving Regan dimensionality. She seems like a child who is mature for her age, but never an adult playing a child, so it’s a success there.

Connolly maintains her strength, and arguably steals the show, in the increasingly different and difficult role that the second half gives her. Adam Garcia as Father Damien Karras gives her a run for her money. On the whole, casting is strong. There are no weak performances.

It was the first night, so some technical gaffes are perhaps to be expected. Certain things were off. Both of the more noticeable and most unfortunate issues came during the production’s reimagining of two of the film’s most iconic moments: the vomiting, and the head-turn. 

The vomiting can be fixed by a better positioning of certain elements, and likely has already been sorted by the time that this review is posted. The head-turn should definitely be cut. It does not add anything to the production overall, is totally signposted by a wig change, is awkward, and (most importantly) not at all necessary. Most other effects are sublime, and this ruins the general good impression that the illusions and tricks leave on the audience. 

Go and see the show not for jump-scares, or huge special effects demonstrations, which you will not find, but for the lingering sense of dread and discomfort. It provokes more thought than terror, though is not totally without the latter. The show stays with you, certainly. Its subject material is bleak and complex, and it cleverly leans into that, rather than away from it.

Leaving the theatre, you might not feel affected. In the car, you might not feel affected. But, by the time you have got home and are getting ready for bed…    ★★★★☆    Will Amott    26th October 2016