Though it has been smartly programmed to coincide with Halloween, Let the Right One In is not the fright-fest that its poster might have you believe. There is certainly a chill that pervades Bryony Shanahan’s production, but this stage version of Jon Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel and film – adapted by Jack Thorne – is more bittersweet than scary. It eschews easy shocks in favour of something much more moving.
Adolescence is the real horror-show in this story of friendship and connection. Shanahan captures with gut-churning accuracy the terror of bullying and humiliation – a daily experience for teenaged Oskar. He is less worried about the murders taking place in the woods than he is about protecting himself from his schoolyard tormentors. Then he meets Eli, the enigmatic new nextdoor neighbour who only comes out at night. The pair of outcasts quickly strike up a friendship, but it could all fall apart if Oskar discovers who and what Eli really is.
