Bass Fam’s latest production of MANSION is billed as a “spine tingling, gothic fusion of dance, circus & burlesque.”

It is immersive theatre for those sitting in seats that are right at stage level. While I will not reveal why they are immersive, I will say that I was sitting in the front row proper and had just as good a time. However, for those who like to ‘be in the thick of it’, the immersive seats are worth it, but be ready!

The production begins with a decrepit, old caretaker ensuring everyone is seated. After some cautionary warnings we are thrown headlong into an eerie world of horror, madness, and the underworld.

A soundtrack combining spoken voice with songs which perfectly forms a base for the often frenetic dance routines and aerial acts interspersed with quiet reflective moments. The actors playing the lost spirits are costumed in creations of lace and satins that have been distressed to add to the feeling of faded glory. The image of Bette Davis in her Baby Jane dress in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? kept popping into my mind.

A special mention must be made of the masks. They are genuinely creepy, particularly on one of the dancers who walks on her feet and hands in a unbelievable back bend. Her face upside down crawling like a crab is reminiscent of some scenes of The Exorcist.

At the end of the journey into delusion the family are ordered out of the venue by the spirits who had not found peace. We are compelled to follow.

MANSION  is at times disturbing, haunting, strangely beautiful and an experience that just may haunt your dreams or nightmares!