Radiant Boy is a new piece of work by writer Nancy Netherwood. It tells of Russell who has returned to his mother in the North East from a conservatoire in London as ‘its started happening again.’ Whilst we never find out exactly what ‘it’ is but we do learn that his mother, Maud’s approach to the problem is to hire a priest to perform, what we would recognise as, an exorcism.

The play is fascinating, not only for how it deals with the exorcism itself but its broader themes. Whilst religion is a strong theme throughout there is also underlying currents of homophobia that Russell is dealing with as well as a look at complex familial relationships and as a result the cause of the voice and Russell’s episodes is difficult to unpick. Netherwood’s dialogue is cleverly written as the story unfolds gradually, ensuring that even by the end we are left wanting to know more. The audience is credited with intelligence and she refrains from spelling things out but instead lets us fill in parts of the jigsaw.

Stuart Thompson plays Russell and he is gripping to watch. It would be easy for the moments that Russell’s body is taken over by her to descend into hilarity but Thompson’s portrayal is at times distressing as his body contorts, his head and face flicker between worlds leaving the audience fixated on the happenings in front of them but the most distressing thing to watch is the fear behind Thompson’s eyes throughout the play as he searches for solutions. Wendy Nottingham is Maud and she portrays a conflicted mother, one who clearly disapproves of her sons homosexuality but equally a mother who wants to do what is right for her son. He relationship between Thompson and Nottingham is thrillingly played out in front of us and thanks to the acting by them is easily believed.

Ben Allen plays Father Miller, a priest who comes to perform the exorcism and as the show goes on a man, we learn, with his own pain. He to avoids crossing into the world of a stereotypical priest in a horror movie and instead is inquiring and himself conflicted, an intricate portrayal by Allen. Renee Lamb makes up the quartet on stage, portraying the voice inside Russell and his friend Steph. Frustratingly we don’t dive into much depth on the reason for the link between these characters. Lamb spends the majority of the show prowling round the outskirts of the set and catching Russell’s eye but the moments she fully interacts with the main action are some of the highlights of the piece.

The show is peppered full of music, from folk songs to music of the time, pop hits of the 80’s and sound designer Patch Middleton and Elinor Peregrin ensure that from the chilling whisper of Lamb’s folk ballad to the pumping beats of the 80’s each moment really builds the intensity of the show.

The set Thomas Palmer creates an air of mystery and as the audience enters the living room in which the play is set is shrouded in a white gauze box. After the opening scene is played in shadows, fittingly setting up an feeling that the audience are peering into something that they shouldn’t be seeing. The intimacy of the Southwark Playhouse works perfectly for this piece also, we can smell the candles, become encompassed in the fog and surround ourselves with each flicker of light.

Whilst Radiant Boy describes itself as ‘A Haunting’ this new play has so many more layers than a simple ghost story. Nuanced characters, an intelligent script and gripping portrayals left me pondering the show for long after the candles had been extinguished.

Radiant Boy is on at Southwark Playhouse until 14th June. You can find out more and book tickets here.

If you like this review you might also like my review of Stranger Things The First Shadow, Witness for The Prosecution and Cabaret.