Little Lark of London

“How can I help you?”

Did you believe in monsters under the bed when you were a kid? If you did, when did you stop believing? Or did you never stop? Written and directed by Evan Neiden, Claws is an example of Candle House Collective’s form of “alternate reality theatre,” where, instead of taking place on a traditional stage, the show takes place over a phone call. The single audience member has taken on the role of a volunteer operator for the “Etcetera Helpline,” answering calls they receive with a simple question – “How can I help you?” As soon as they answer this particular call, the audience member is pulled into the world of Claws, with a terrified teenager, Danny, begging for help, as he believes that there is a monster in his closet. 

Before receiving the call from an unknown number, the audience member receives an email with all of the information they will need for the experience, including an orientation for “Etcetera Helpline.” They are also given a word that they can use to stop the experience at any time, as the show does get into “personal and potentially disturbing themes.” With this information in hand, all the audience member can do is wait for the call to come in at the given time, sitting and waiting for the experience to begin.

It is at this point that I am choosing to switch this review into first-person. I rarely use it when writing about theatre, but as Claws is such a personal experience, it feels only right to speak about it from my own perspective. Before receiving the call, I went into my bedroom, closed the door, and turned the lights off, trying to prepare to immerse myself in the world of Claws. At precisely 10:00 PM, my phone lit up with a call from an unknown caller. I took a deep breath, allowed the call to come through, and asked, “How can I help you?”

Immediately, Danny (played by Cole Steeves on my call), is screaming in my ear, begging me to help him with a monster that he has apparently trapped in his closet. He begs me to believe him and asks me what he should do, swearing frantically as banging noises are heard in the background. This made me pause – what do I do? 

To be completely honest, I wasn’t sure what I would think of Claws. While I love immersive theatre (it was the subject of my dissertation), I have never been very good at becoming a character within the shows I see – I prefer the passive observation of Punchdrunk with its white masks to the conversational atmosphere of Secret Cinema. When I first started speaking with Danny, I was hesitant, simply asking questions and trying to get more information about what was happening. 

But soon, I found myself getting more and more engrossed in the experience. Without realizing it was happening, I began opening up to Danny, telling him about personal experiences – even ones I haven’t told some of my closest friends about. Steeves does a brilliant job of pulling the caller into the story, going along with their answers and adapting as he goes. There was a moment in which the call failed – I’m unsure if this was intentional or not, but either way, Steeves played it off brilliantly, incorporating the moment into the show and questioning my belief in his story. It truly does feel like you’re on a call with an emotional sixteen-year-old, going from terrified to angry to heartbroken in mere seconds. I found myself feeling protective of Danny, even though I knew he was just a character, and that none of this was real. When the call ended, I looked down at my hands and saw they were trembling. In fact, my whole body was shaking, with my mind in a state of complete shock. 

Ultimately, Claws is a truly unique and engrossing theatrical experience that will leave participants questioning everything. Neiden has created an over-the-phone piece of theatre that pulls audience members into Danny’s world, forcing them to confront exactly what they believe and who they can trust. Be warned – this is not for the faint of heart. 

Claws is currently running until 30 July. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.