Glasgow-based Cutty Sark Theatre bring queer-leaning horror Turn the Cloth to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, delivering a punchy and atmospheric look at the traditional societal pressures placed upon young women through the lens of Scottish folk horror.
Built around four performers, Turn the Cloth takes us to 1989, where a group of young village women enact the ritual of turning the cloth, an act intended to keep the dangerous Kelpie at bay during a harsh storm. In the tense village hall, fraught personal dynamics and superstition collide as the young women discuss their hopes, fears and expectations for the future.
Isla Rose Perkins, Greer Montgomery, Niamh Cox and Emma Comfort make up the four-person cast, with each character successfully fleshed out while exploring how we respond to traditions placed upon us. Some of the women fear the Kelpie, others find promise in the idea that surviving an encounter will lead to finding a husband, whilst others dismiss it as superstitious nonsense. Each actress enjoys several moments to shine and, in this opening performance, they build each other up with confidence and conviction, ensuring the audience remains invested in every emotional beat of the production.
The claustrophobic village hall setting is effectively realised through the darkly lit design, with each actress clad in a wedding dress, symbolic of the Kelpie’s power to attract a suitor for young women. Inventive lighting cues and a score blending synth-driven electronic sounds with Celtic folk songs create a rich and intriguing creative fusion. An increased use of the synth-led score could have strengthened the eighties setting with even greater impact, although references to camp horror icon Elvira, Blockbuster Video and Lambrini also help firmly establish the era.
Written and directed by Eve Miller, the production makes powerful statements about tradition and its role in keeping, in this case, young women confined within clearly defined gender roles. As the characters dissect these expectations, some embracing them and others pushing back, Turn the Cloth offers plenty of thought-provoking material. The production also shines a light on the dangers faced by women at night, with the Kelpie serving as a compelling metaphor for violence against women.
The production’s queer elements feel refreshingly natural rather than forced, sitting comfortably alongside the folk horror influences to create something distinctive and original. Whilst the horror itself is relatively understated, this ultimately works in the show’s favour, allowing the creeping sense of dread and impending darkness to build gradually until it becomes impossible to ignore.
Turn the Cloth is an imaginative and confidently performed piece of new theatre that successfully fuses folklore, queer identity and social commentary into a compelling Fringe experience. With strong performances, inventive creative choices and an intelligent script that leaves plenty to reflect upon long after the lights go down, this is a haunting production that will linger with you.
Turn the Cloth – Gilded Balloon Teviot – Turret – 2:30pm. Tickets available here.
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