Exactly how far have you gone with this - spook?

London Performance Studios presented the world premiere of ‘Spook’,  Alan Bowne’s pulpy, erotic ghost comedy written in 1985, directed by Alastair Curtis.

After the mysterious death of their aunt, cousins Eleanor and Lolly inherit a rambling house on the windswept Massachusetts coast. Legend says it’s haunted by the ghost of a smuggler who was hanged for his crimes two hundred years ago. And soon enough, a handsome young man begins appearing in their beds at night, eager to seduce them. 

Before long, Eleanor, Lolly, and even their uptight local Christian minister, Mr. Butts, are all vying for the spook’s erotic attentions. But as the reason for his haunting emerges, it’s clear he’ll stop at nothing–not even murder–to get what he wants.

Alan Bowne was a playwright and novelist from California, renowned for writing about “the scraggly underbelly of life” (Interview). He began writing at the age of 35, authoring hit plays such as Beirut, Forty-Deuce, and Sharon and Billy. He passed away from HIV/AIDS-related illnesses in 1989 at 44 years old. Many of his plays–including Spook–went unperformed during his lifetime. 

The final performance on 6th September was followed by a 30-minute Q&A with Curtis and Sean Burns, an artist, writer and associate editor of frieze. 

Cast

Selina Griffiths
Georges Hann
Katherine Kingsley
Alan Turkington

Creative Team

Director: Alastair Curtis
Producer: David Doyle
Costume and Set Designers: Max Allen & Elliott Adcock
Sound Designer: Helen Noir
Lighting Designer: Chris McDonnell
Production Coordinator: Cara Dromgoole
Stage Manager: Aime Neeme
Creative Producers: Katie Byrne & Max Laurie
Publicity: Harry Engall
Graphic Designers: Tom Joyes & Fran Ortega
Production Photography: Henry Mills 

This event was organised by Alastair Curtis, as part of the Associate Artists Programme.