Unexplained Live
★★★★★
Five Star Pick
★★★★★ Five Star Pick
I've been a listener of the Unexplained podcast for a while now, so I was excited to see how its fantastically unsettling, too-spooky-to-fall-asleep-to atmosphere would translate to the stage.
Richard MacLean Smith's storytelling is simple but hugely effective, and he makes clever use of lighting, sound and a few small props to build mood and tension without ever feeling overdone. There's also the unexpected treat of an acoustic song written by Richard, which fits the tone of the piece perfectly.
The story at the centre of the show is the disappearance of Thomas Marshall, James Ducat and Donald McArthur, who vanished from the Flannan Isles lighthouse on Eilean Mòr in December 1900. The most common theory is that they were blown over the cliffs or swept into the sea by a powerful wave while trying to secure equipment in bad weather, but many more fantastical and horrific explanations have been posited over the years. The information is clearly well researched, with Richard occasionally noting where he'd been unable to track down a detail, a name of a more minor figure, for instance, which only adds to the sense that this is a carefully and honestly put-together account.
I already knew the broad strokes of the ill-fated keepers going in, but there were still details that were new to me. Whether you’re already a fan of the podcast or coming to it completely fresh, this is a great example of classic storytelling done well: no unnecessary distraction, no irony, no forced humour. Just a well-told, eerie tale, delivered with real craft.
★★★★★
