SUTCo’s It Came From The Ice – 4 April 2025, Library Theatre
Review by Claire Taranaski.
Sheffield University Theatre Company’s latest production, written and directed by Luke Hookham is a psychological cosmic horror that cleverly explores what happens when a crew of five are trapped in a research camp at the Antarctic, brilliantly examining the horror of not knowing what is real, belief and not being in control.
Deserving a bigger audience than it had, Luke has shown his love of horror and sci-fi, cleverly combining aspects of the genre to make something original and compelling, that deserves to return to the stage and could easily be adapted to television (if you added a TARDIS it could easily become a compelling two part Dr Who episode). It may feel like the cosmic horror genre has run out of ideas (fans of Inside No. 9 may recognise the ending from a final season episode) but Luke made the journey to it all his own and left the audience guessing and on edge throughout. As an audience we were looking out for and debating during the interval the meaning of details Luke’s script cleverly implanted from the game playing within a game and from the blink and you’re miss it removal of the coats onwards.
The five cast members (Barbara Ann McLaughlin, Sam Bevan, Immy Eyre, Imogen Kerr and Alex Mackie) all captured the ages, personalities and life experiences of their characters and portrayed their part in the insanity of their collective situation and reaction to what is happening around them with great talent and without resulting to stereotypes. They were at their best when given monologues (highlights include Sam as Gary’s storytelling at the start of act two and Immy’s interaction as Sarah with something only she can see) and when representing their complex relationships with each other (Imogen Kerr as Paul’s interactions with Barbara as Angela, Sam as Gary and Alex as Charlie). Charlie also provided much of the most shocking physical acting from banging their head on the table whenever someone lied to their own story telling, whilst Immy must be praised for gorging her character’s own eyes out on stage and Barbara for an unexpected scream that is nearly up their with some of the iconic horror film screams of all time.
Behind the scenes, high praise must go to Adam Rajczakowski for lighting and Mason Lugh for sound who throughout maintained both the eeriness of a snow storm in the Antarctic without the challenge of having to create a visual of it on stage (with the one set show focusing on the interior of the research camp) including the inability to track time in a place with 24 hour daylight, and the feeling of the imposing threat by who knows what.
We have reviewed original horror from members of SUTCo before but this is the one that left us most on edge, questioning everything and searching for an explanation and will stay with us for a long time. It sadly on it’s short run was not seen by all the horror fans who should have seen it, though maybe not by any horror fans who want to join research teams at the Antarctic as it is guaranteed to put them off for life.