EdFringe Review: Eleanor Morton: Haunted House

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Eleanor Morton has an innately excellent and left-field sense of humour which shines out through 55 minutes of an ambitious comedy set. However ‘Haunted House’ predominantly exists to laugh at the supernatural, and to reject hackneyed visions of her home city, Edinburgh, as spook-central. She does take aim, however, at a manifest societal horror.

Before she takes the stage, however, listen out for a particularly funny voiceover welcoming everyone to the room, and laying down the rules.

She is accompanied on stage by a large, resplendent Georgian dolls’ townhouse. It has 6 rooms, corresponding to the show’s 6 chapters. It’s a highly theatrical way to present a standup show, but an effective one. Eleanor has a significant stage background, one she employs to good effect.

Between each packet of spookily-observed comedy, the lights go out, and a doll’s room is opened whilst a voice recording of a haunting ‘survivor’ plays over loudspeaker. Some are daft, and some are told with complete sincerity.

So what about the comedy? Eleanor opts for little in the way of regular gags (though watch out for a couple of doozies), and instead invites you to view the city through her eyes. Is she a victim of Leith’s gentrification or part of the problem? Are ghost tour guides more ghastly than the spooky city they invent for tourists? Are ghosts real? If so which is the best type of ghost? Can old ghost stories teach anything valuable to modern romantics? Who has more chance of being taken seriously, ghosts or women?

Look out for her tour guide schtick in particular, it’s sensational.

Simply put, there’s plenty to laugh at and to grab your interest in ‘Haunted House’. Her timing is solid, whilst her punchlines are rarely obvious. If she is part of a middle-class invasion of Leith, at least she’s a likeable barbarian.

Eleanor saves her true horror til the show approaches a conclusion with the opening of the 6th door of her impressive prop. I must say I was expecting more of the doll’s house. It does help to set a mysterious tone, but it’s ultimately more impressive than evocative.

That aside, this is an excellent show from an excellent, strong-minded comedian. It’s refreshing to have an Edinburgh comic so boldly featuring the city and her relationship with it in a Fringe show. You’d think it would be more common – it isn’t. You’ve far more chance of learning the socio-economic issues of Croydon than Wester Hailes as a rule.

Eleanor also deserves kudos for her finale, which hits harder and better than most you’ll see this year.

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