If you are a fan of the horror/thriller genre and love a bit of emo rock music, then you need to add Mansion to your list of Adelaide Fringe shows to go to this year.

Kicking off the show with a vibe similar to The Haunting of Hill House drama show, we are introduced to a family of three (mother Mel, daughter Rachael, and son Levi) who are grappling with the loss of their patriarch figure and are trying to piece their lives back together. What follows is a terrifying yet exciting hour of supernatural theatre, dance, and acrobatics that will spook you to your core. Complemented with an electrifying playlist mix of renditions of well-known gothic songs and original audio to elevate the outlandishly ghoulish performances, audiences are treated to snippets of the undead overtaking the lives of this family. Drawing influences from movies such as the Conjuring, Sinister, and It Follows (to name a few), the show does not shy away from making adults and children alike fall victim to the paranormal world of deranged and tortured spirits, the experiences of which are further enhanced using the classic soundtrack such as 'You are my sunshine' to further tense up the nerves.

There is a never-ending rotation of costume changes and prop features to accompany each act. The theme of each sequence is perfectly matched to intensify the feelings of uneasiness and adrenalin rushes that follow. Throughout the show, the audiences are also guided via storytelling and narrative that is equal parts cryptic and abrupt, but in a manner that keeps the audience begging the question "how much worse can this family be tormented?" (the answer is: the limit does not exist).

The combination of the expressive facial expressions and the (mostly) synchronized choreography of each cast member when performing solo or as a team adds to the moody and desperate longing to break free from the clutches of the terrors encapsulating the residents of this mansion (both living and dead). This, in turn, creates a semi-immersive atmosphere of battling between reality and fantasy.

What would have accentuated the level of immersion would involve finding ways around making sure that audiences towards the side of the venue are also incorporated into the happenings on stage via a 360-degree (as opposed to a 180-degree) view, as there were some elements of the show that were inaccessible to view (such as the events transpiring in the box by the entrance and the snippet between the mother and father in what appeared to be a bedroom setting). The prerecorded narrative was a bit skewed in sound quality, which would have added a greater effect had the character spoken it out loud (as this made it a bit tricky to follow the concept of the snippet following the storytelling). While the show was a bit slow at the start, the cast did a fantastic job of ramping up the energy levels as the show progressed, thanks to the eclectic mix of ballet, circus, acrobatics, dance, physical theatre, cabaret, and burlesque.

Overall, Mansion is a spectacle that deserves to be explored and experienced this Fringe season and given that this was their first show of the season, I have high hopes that they will have perfected the minor teething issues in due time.

MANSION will be performing at The Octagon in Gluttony till March 5th 2023. Tix can be purchased here.