What would you give up to get what you want? What if it was so much more than just material things, what if it was your peace, your safety, your relationships? How far are you willing to go for your dreams? Keith Barker & Thomas Morgan Jones’ spine-tingling horror solo show The Veil, directed by Helen Juvonen, delves deep into this Faustian dilemma with terrifying results.

BANG BANG BANG! There’s a man at the window. He’s got something wrapped in a baby’s receiving blanket. He enters through an unseen door and is suddenly inside the room, frantically shutting the blinds and puts the object he was carrying on one of the tables. Before he begins to explain himself, he’s got a large container of salt, and he makes a large ring on the floor, quipping to the audience members as he does so (a few quipped back, thankfully, easing the tension). This man tells us that he’s a lawyer, and that he’s going to need us to believe what he has to tell us or else this isn’t going to work. He then regales us with the unsettling and uncanny events of his life over the past few months since he became partner at his law firm. You see, he made a deal with one of the other partners, one which unburdened that man, but decidedly changed the life of the character before us. Unexplained phenomena in his house, issues with his brand new car, missing objects suddenly returning themselves; it’s all a little too much. But now he’s facing the final straw, and he needs someone to take over this curse, and it’s someone in the theatre who has to help him.

I should state that I am decidedly not a fan of horror, particularly otherworldly, supernatural style horror. The kind which can easily feel like it’s going to follow you home from the theatre (no matter if it’s a movie or live performance). The Veil had me scared, like wouldn’t have minded someone walking me to my car, scared. Was too scared to look in the mirror for the rest of the night, scared. My fear was aided by 3 strong elements: the story itself, its delivery, and good old theatre magic.

Barker and Jones’ text is an impressive feat in storytelling. They get us from the moment this frenzied man enters the space, and they build and build the tension until the last second. Like the good lawyer that he is, the character is laying out bits of evidence, making less and less room for doubt (he’d make a great prosecutor if he wanted to switch fields). He’s been talking to us the whole time, consistently making eye contact with the audience as if we’re a jury he’s trying to sway, which really we are. He needs our help and he knows it, so the story is told in a way which keeps us curious about what the next horror this man has faced could possibly be. As each haunting grows more violent and personal, the more it would make my skin crawl, and the less you could dismiss it as happenstance.

Then there’s the performance itself. Byron Abalos is mind-blowing; he keeps us in his grasp until long after he’s left the theatre. He deftly embodies the passion, fear, and ambition of this character, and in such a way where you slowly but surely begin to feel for this man. Learning his lesson in the most harsh ways possible, this modern Dr. Faustus likewise shows us the cost of ambition.

I should have known something was off the minute I walked into the Studio Theatre: the windows had the shades open, and they NEVER have the shades open during a performance. Jareth Li’s production design should have been my next clue. There were all of the makings of a set in the room, but they weren’t set up. Lights sitting on tables, those big boxes for electronic equipment, a dismembered mannequin, all sort of clustered towards the windows. These are all used to create multiple jump scares, though many of them are subtle to begin with and the chaos grows with the story.

The Veil is proof positive of how effective horror can be when done live. Every element of the production puts goosebumps on your arms and leaves you feeling like you’re being followed. Thank you, to the hero in my audience who blew out the candle; though we all can’t unknow what we know now, I thank you, valiant one, for taking on the curse. I’m going to try to get some sleep tonight, but I keep feeling this tingling sensation over my left shoulder…

The Veil runs in the Studio Theatre of Streetcar Crowsnest until October 12. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.guildfestivaltheatre.ca/veil

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Cover Photo: Pictured: Byron Abalos
Directed by Helen Juvonen
Production and Lighting Design by Jareth Li
Production photos by Raph Nogal

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