Classic horror film storylines, characters and tropes meet bewitching contemporary dance, sultry burlesque, and jaw-dropping acrobatics in this high-energy (and high-budget) show, which is definitely a major drawcard for Gluttony in 2023. Fans of shows like the outrageously popular ‘American Horror Story’ and Netflix’s ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ are in for a treat as MANSION follows a similar storyline. The newly-widowed Mel Walker, her teenage son Levi and young daughter Rachel have all moved into an old mansion in an attempt to find a new beginning after tragedy befell their husband/father, but evil also lives here… Surrounding them in the mansion are increasingly menacing and terrifyingly playful heartbroken souls, demonic spirits and seductive apparitions appear. As the family spends more time in the house, this uncomfortable tension grows into all-out horror, as possessions take place, a manically cackling bride haunts the corridors, life-size dolls hide around corners, and a dark entity attempts to takes back its home. The disturbing ghost of the family’s recently passed patriarch, also appears to cause chaos, but also provide moments of emotional connection beautifully shown through contemporary dance duets, such as with his son Levi. The haunting atmosphere is created with impressive costumes (a blood-drenched tutu, an antique wedding dress, Grudge-like long dark hair covering a face, ghoulish face masks), an unnerving soundtrack of remixed popular songs, a dimly lit venue, and, most importantly, the horror-inspired choreography. This sees dramatic dance battles between good and evil, acrobatic silk routines that are a struggle between life and death, evilly seductive dance duets, uncomfortable possession-like movements, plenty of screaming, and even has performers crawling quietly through the aisles scaring unsuspecting audience members in their seats.  The soundtrack is packed full of popular songs, but which have been remixed into bizarre, unnerving and dark versions, such as ‘Un-Break My Heart’, ‘Love Story’, ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’, and more horror-like songs including ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ and Evanescence’s ‘Bring Me To Life’. The successfully unnerving horror trope of using a sweet and naïve tune, like ‘You Are My Sunshine’, is included as it innocently begins, before twisting into a distorted, static and uncomfortable version of the original. One of the most popular scenes which has the audience singing along and cheering, is an impressive and energetic entire cast dance routine with all ten performers on stage, as Sam Smith’s popular ‘Unholy’ plays – a clever and engaging pop culture inclusion for the show. An engulfing atmosphere for audience members is created through all of these amazing aspects, only enhanced by wonderful use of projection, lighting and audio. Voiceovers from a narrator and key characters appear every so often throughout the show to provide helpful explanations and guidance while paired with the dance/acrobatic/burlesque routines. These, though, at times sound rather amateur and too staged, while instead they could push boundaries with more raw emotion - placing more fear into the audience and continuing to build the horror atmosphere. MANSION is so very close to being an absolutely unforgettable hit that will have audience members trembling long after the show ends, but just needs to nail its all-encompassing horror atmosphere to achieve this.