Lots of Edinburgh shows claim to challenge the audience, usually with something edgy to confront their values or sensibilities. But with Corpse, Kirsty Mann aims to challenge foundational beliefs about the very nature of the world we live in. This is a ghost story.
Mann introduces herself as an NHS doctor and a scientist who has always been too sensible to believe in ghosts. Her husband does something in research (she admits she doesn’t really know what his job is), and he is even more of a scientist and sceptic than her. That was until last year, when they bought and moved into a bona fide haunted house. What follows is an absolutely crazy story that will give even the staunchest of cynics the heebie-jeebies.
I won’t spoil it, but I did jump several times. If you are someone who really hates getting a fright, Corpse might be a little challenging. But it’s the kind of scare that you get in a ghost train or a haunted house. Yes, I leapt out of my skin, but I was laughing a few seconds later too. As someone who hates jump scares in horror, the show was so worth it.
Mann is a confident and captivating performer. There was a moment when I thought the show was quite different from theatre, and then she mentioned that she is also a stand-up comedian. The show is somewhere between stand-up and theatre. She is very, very funny and a gifted storyteller, making inventive use of props and music to bring the story to life. She also shows off her acting skills. I’ll be thinking about her impression of her elderly neighbour for a very long time.
One issue I do have: there is a running joke about a character loving the Hackney Marshes. As a Scottish person who has never lived in London, I had no idea what that was, and had to work out from the context that this is a part of London that’s considered quite grim. If performing outside London, a couple of lines to explain this would be really helpful.
Corpse is one of the best things I have ever seen at the Edinburgh Fringe. Very excited to see what Mann comes back with next.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
