Mysterious Skin, Em-Lou Productions and Neil Sheppeck – Gilded Balloon

**** (4 stars)

As a play Mysterious Skin had a lot to live up to; it was a hugely successful book by Scott Heim, and then adapted into a cult hit film by Greg Araki, not to mention that it raises some difficult issues: sexual desire, paedophilia and prostitution. Thankfully this adaptation was extremely successful in its endeavours, and left the audience feeling both moved and challenged.

This deeply distressing and moving story tells the tale of Neil, a young hustler who has a penchant for much older men and Brian, a troubled and self-conscious teenager who believes he may have been abducted by aliens; their lives intertwine as they are both forced to look back into their troubled childhoods. Wendy, Neil’s straight-talking, no-nonsense best friend from childhood, and Avalyn, Brian’s lonely, former-abuductee confidante, to whom he relays his own UFO abductions fears, provide some comic relief from the sexual violence and upsetting flashbacks.

Well-produced and directed, Mysterious Skin really captured the audience’s attention with very quick flashbacks and switching between scenes that were cleverly facilitated by some well thought out lighting and sound effects. The set was equally innovative, with a huge blue canvas, slightly worn and speckled with white, providing a backdrop and floor and creating an otherworldly feel that made the flashbacks all the more realistic and difficult to watch.

The quality of the acting was for the most part consistently good and Rick Kissack (Neil) managed to ooze sexual appeal whilst depicting a real vulnerability and confusion underneath his confident veneer; Danny Worters, perfect as the socially awkward and geeky Brian, provided a truly touching performance; and Paul Standell, who played a variety of characters, really managed to create the diversity between them whilst having a great stage presence throughout. Between the two female leads, the quality was hugely varied; Leanne Rowe absolutely sparkled in the part of Wendy, and also briefly as Brian’s mother and an administrative assistant – her variety of accents were superb and she owned the part, acting so naturally and yet with such fervent emotion. Myfanwy Waring on the other hand, was rather fake in her portrayal of Avalyn, her attempts at an American accent were lacklustre and her physicality seemed too pantomime for such a realist and intense play.

Mysterious Skin is an intense and affecting story regardless of the medium through which ones views it, however this stage production really does capture the emotional force of the tale, and is hugely successful at addressing the difficult and sometimes upsetting issues raised.

Gilded Balloon Teviot, running until 30th August, 1pm. Full price £9 concession £8.

Orla Murray