The stage adaptation of Jon Ajvide Lindqvist’s Let the Right One In (Swedish: Låt den rätte komma in) has finally arrived at the Royal Exchange Theatre, two years later than originally planned. We were so excited by this arrival that we sent not one but two Editors to review it: Head Film Editor Pip Carew, who has seen both film adaptations, and Head Theatre Editor Jay Darcy, who expected to see vampires but was otherwise clueless!

Pip Carew

Vampires run riot at the Royal Exchange Theatre!

The stage adaptation of cult horror Let The Right One In has taken up residence inside the Royal Exchange’s hallowed halls this Halloween. The coming-of-age story with a twist is about two teenagers, outcast Oskar and his mysterious neighbour Eli.

The intense friendship starts amidst a spate of gruesome murders in their town, and Oskar discovers that Eli is not as human as they may appear. The play deals with themes of gender identity and adolescent alienation in an atmospheric, chilling manner which transfixes the audience from start to finish.

Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) transposes the Swedish vampire thriller to a small northern community which is particularly effective in creating a claustrophobic atmosphere onstage despite a large cast. The atmosphere is integral to creating a convincingly chilling tale, and Let The Right One In delivers in abundance with each set piece being seamlessly transported onstage, allowing the audience to experience movement with the characters between these uncanny places. Woods, a sweet shop, and even a climbing frame are all subject to the uncanny treatment; these commonplace spaces become supernatural through the clever use of light and set design.

The show-stopping end scene is a culmination of creative scenery (without giving too much away, a swimming pool undoubtedly materialises in front of the audiences’ eyes), surround sound and proxemics between Oskar and his tormentors. The Director, Bryony Shanahan (also the RX’s Co-Artistic Director), has demonstrated that although the tools available in the theatre may be more limited than in film, anything is achievable through the trickery of light and compelling reimagining of familiar places.

The play is tethered to reality through its core relationship between Eli (Rhian Blundell) and Oskar (Pete Machale). Although the script occasionally blunders through adolescent awkwardness in slightly jarring dialogue, the budding friendship/romance between the two is engaging to watch as the audience attempts to connect the larger gruesome dots of the overarching horror mystery.

A standout performance is from bully Jonny (Stefan Race) whose performance captures cruelty and inner turmoil, lending multiple layers to the stereotypical bully portrayal. The ensemble cast impressively fills out the space, commanding the theatre in the round, a space which can capture an actor’s weakness from any angle.

Despite the universality of its themes, Let The Right One In is not for the faint-hearted audience member. Rest assured, there is enough blood to satisfy any fan of the vampire sub-genre. The play’s relationship to the body and its abject properties are fascinating to watch unfold throughout. How we treat our bodies, how they may be desirable to others, and how they fade with age are all concerns of Let The Right One In. The gruesome special effects employed as victims are attacked to satisfy the vampiric urges are always shockingly realistic and fantastically visceral. Be warned to wear a raincoat if sitting in the front row.

Let The Right One In is a play with many different generic allegiances: the thriller, the murder mystery, the coming-of-age story, and the vampire horror. It has, much like Eli, several different identities that all coexist in harmony. New dimensions are added to John Ajvide Lindqvist’s original novel of the same name through its realisation onstage at the Royal Exchange theatre. One thing is for sure, this play deserves to be invited in to the canon of great adaptations.

Jay Darcy

The Royal Exchange has a versatile, adaptable space. They never cease to amaze me with what they do with it. Whilst Let the Right One In did not have a set as elaborate as some of the theatre’s previous productions, Amelia Jane Hankin (design) made great use of the space.

As Pip mentioned, pieces of set just rolled on and off stage, with sound and lighting used to make the transitions appear seamless (which is important for this production because there are lots and lots and lots of scene changes). In particular, I loved the squared sweet shop; it is beautifully designed and, from memory, the only time sweet, warm colours are seen in the play.

Indeed, colour is used effectively, with icy blues and autumnal hues creating a cold atmosphere, one where we, the audience, feel unwelcome. This is particularly jarring because the theatre’s in-the-round space lends itself to immersive theatre. The RX seldom uses audience participation but by virtue of the audience completely surrounding the action, we become a part of it. In this play, however, we are made to feel like we are trespassing.

Joshua Faro’s lighting design compliments Hankin’s stage design. Bright red light, which is used to symbolise danger and death, stands out in an otherwise icy aesthetic – as does the abundance of blood, which first makes an appearance very early on in the first act.

There are LED bars all over the stage which are used to isolate characters in chambers, a more tasteful, less clichéd way of putting the spotlight on them. Instead, they are surrounded by a square of light (and a circle of spectators). Colour is literally drained out of the world – a world already void of much colour.

The play has great attention to detail; the creatives have thought thoroughly about every aspect of every scene. There are a couple of scenes where the police officer delivers a speech to the townspeople (to us, the unwelcome audience). His speech cuts to an end when Oskar’s mother (Mercè Ribot) points a remote control at him and switches the television off. It is another example of Shanahan’s determination for scene changes to be as smooth (but interesting) as possible.

Then there is the gym scene. The actors playing the students ran out of the auditorium and continued making a great deal of noise, their voices echoing all around the the hall and creeping into the theatre. It created an atmosphere that transported us to the setting of the scene – emboldened, quite naturally, by the theatre’s in-the-round setting.

Later on in the second act, snow sprinkles from above – but only a very small amount; one could easily miss it, if they are focused on the actors. This speaks to the play’s minimalism and subtlety; it knows it does not have to be melodramatic to be scary or emotional.

Instead, the play saves melodrama for its climax. If you have read the book or seen the films, you know what I am referring to. Pip wondered how the climax would be achieved – from the creation of the swimming pool to the epic events that take place at the swimming pool.

The designers masterfully used projection, light, smoke, sound effects, boxes around the stage, and a ladder to establish the pool. Lighting and projections turned the stage floor into a swimming pool; a child could easily be mistaken and attempt to jump in (as if enough blood had not already been spilled).

Design helped create a tension so thick that you could cut it with a knife – and when Eli appeared, the atmosphere went from tense to truly terrifying.

Whilst I chose to focus my review on design, I must give a shout out to Darren Kuppan and Kyle Rowe, who play supporting characters in the play. Shortly after becoming Theatre Editor back in 2019, I was invited to one of the rehearsals for Under Three Moons and had the pleasure of interviewing them both – my first ever interview as Theatre Editor. Whilst I did not get to see the play (it clashed with The Thunder Girls press night), I sent a writer, who gave it a rave review. It was brilliant finally getting to see the pair perform – better yet, together!

Let the Right One In runs at the Royal Exchange Theatre until November 19.