Like all the great horror films, Friday the 14th opens with a prologue in which we see the killer claim their first victim far away from the primary action.
Curtis (Luke Bell) and his fiancée (Hannah Richens) have come to a remote cabin in the woods in the hope of having a romantic getaway. That is, until the phone starts ringing off the hook, and a mysterious voice begins spewing violent threats on her life.
When Curtis goes out into the wilderness to confront the killer, he leaves his fiancée for the slaughter, and he is forced to flee into the bush to avoid meeting a similar fate himself - but could he have been the one behind it all along?
The next meeting, we see the main cast of protagonists: a group of dysfunctional 20-somethings who are gathering in the same cabin for the first time since high school, although nobody is quite sure why they are even bothering.
It isn't long until their hostess, the acerbic Petra (Isabelle Moy), is found murdered in the woods shortly after aggravating all the guests. The suspects are true crime buff and general nerd Natasha (Abigail Woods), hypochondriac Liam (Thomas Henry), party girl Hannah (Katie Matthews), her nebbish stepbrother Jeremy (Joshua Buscombe), the pious Ruby (Jade Devere), Petra's girlfriend Siobhan (Bethany Traynor), and Siobhan's sister and the party's caterer Bethany (Kaysia Dowie). Jay Wood also features as multiple roles, and Gemma Shaw and I contribute voice acting performances.
Curtis, too, soon comes back into the picture, having been lured from his wanderings by Petra's scream, but is his story of trauma to be believed, or is it a cover-up of his developing derangement following the loss of the love of his life?
Everyone had a motive and an opportunity, with scarcely an alibi between them.
Friday the 14th is co-authored by Talahiva Crofts and myself, and it pays homage to beloved classic slashers such as Halloween, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and, of course, Friday the 13th.
For example, the opening scene intends to be reminiscent of Scream's famous prologue featuring Drew Barrymore as a teenager murdered when she's home alone, or else the start of Halloween (1978), where we see Michael Myers kill his sister as a child.
It also draws inspiration from Scream's subversive approach to the tropes and conventions of the genre, and it filters the premise again through the lens of observational comedy to soften the severity on purpose, as the naive youths fail to respect the horrific situation they're in.
At other times, Friday the 14th also takes a turn for the Brechtian, as Ruby opens up about her fears to a companion in the course of a musical theatre number, and even incorporates aspects of magical realism, with some of the deceased returning as ghosts among other paranormal and supernatural aspects.
Friday the 14th was first staged in as a major production by the Newcastle University Drama Society in the Factory Theatrette on the grounds of St. Pius X High School in May of 2018, and it was followed up by a one-night only fundraiser performance on Friday, September 14 (naturally).
This production, running at Brunker Community Theatre from October 7-15, will be the first time it has been staged in four years.
Despite the new casting, and in the vein of a good horror franchise, there are many legacy characters and aspects returning for this reboot, including a score by Imogen Bilinsky and props contributed by Nicholas Bruce, who portrayed Curtis's fiancée and Birdface, respectively, in the original production. The script has since been updated as well.
Another treat will be a performance taking place on the titular date - Friday, October 14 - which is slated to be a special show, although, like all good slasher flicks, this is one mystery that won't be revealed until the big day.
Friday the 14th opens Friday, October 7 at Brunker Community Theatre in Adamstown and closes on Saturday, October 15. Tickets: trybooking.com/CBMSZ
WHAT DO YOU THINK? We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Newcastle Herald website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
