Lovestruck: Entertaining and Polished

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I came to Lovestruck with no prior exposure to H.P. Lovecraft, and surely many allusions were lost on me, but I can say is that it is worthwhile anyway. Whoever initially conceived of them, the characters are delightful, and the acting is impressive.

“Rats”, acted by Aslam Husain is plagued by rats that nobody else can see. He is constantly writhing and ranting. The intensity of this character demanded a lot of stamina and conviction, which Husain delivered. Fiona Revill plays Tammy Lancaster who is simple and desperate for a man. Revill is hilarious in this role, doing the bulk of the acting with her voice, which never slips out of character. Chris Schonfeldt plays Victor Crancy, a man whose unhealthy obsession is with his “research”. Schonfeldt doesn’t really get a chance to shine until his character is allowed to wake up and notice Tammy Lancaster. Prior to that he is mostly oblivious. Kirsten Kilburn plays Marge Mildew, Victor Crancy’s initial love interest. Kilburn does an excellent job of making this character vulgar, shallow, and mean while still both comical and realistic. Most of all David Quast is strange and menacing as the villain Will Whitman.

These characters were supposed to be a bit larger than life and they were, but not so much so that they become silly and deprive the actors of the opportunity to hone their craft.

A real highlight is the construction of a monster, whether it be considered part of the costume design or part of the set. I’m not one for monsters stories but I do appreciate good craftsmanship and character and that was evident in all aspects of Lovestruck.
 

By B. Stewart