RESTLESS SPIRIT by Alison Minors (Lago di Lupi Productions). At Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace. July 8 at 11 pm, July 9 at 9 pm, July 10 at 8 pm, July 12 at 5:15 pm, July 13 at noon, July 15 at 6:45 pm. See listing. Rating: NNN
Theatre Passe Muraille might be haunted, but Lago di Lupis new play Restless Spirit is a see-through seance, with a transparent plot that lacks any true spook.
Nell Hart (Nicole Marie McCafferty) is a normal girl except for one problem: she can communicate with the dead. Her long-suffering sister Lillian (Elaine ONeal) insists that she ignore the ghostly interlocators, but the spirits are too powerful to go unheeded. When Nell brings peace to a rich neighbour by channelling her dead daughter, Lillians husband Charlie (Damien Guide), comes up with a scheme to profit off of Nells special gift.
The production holds back, delving into genre tropes without fully embracing the campiness of the subject matter, and heightened moments often fall flat. Despite this, ONeal delivers a strong performance as stressed out sister Lillian, navigating any shakiness the script might have with ease.
Randolph graduate McCaffery brings concentration and commitment to her performance. She’s the spookiest thing about Restless Spirit, her vacant eyes and strained smile holding the tension of otherworldly contact despite the jarring (and literal) drumbeat of the dead coming from offstage.