“A bit of the eerie, a tad pinch of the whacky, a gram of the ghoulish and a smidgen of the macabre… that’s Phantasmagoria 3D! Just enjoy the weirdness of it all.”

One can’t help but love the weirdness of Eldritch Theatre.

The whacky theatre company and its denizens of delirium have created a delicious, deathly mixture of the macabre that will undoubtedly have your head spinning.

It’s called ‘Phantasmagoria.’ Eldritch’s website promises that audiences will see arcane rituals enacted.

The performance is presented in 'Live 3D!' This means you will need those red and blue glasses to experience the visuals as they pop out from the stage's backdrop. Please note that the 3D glasses may not fit all types of eyewear. My glasses couldn’t accommodate them, so I had to take off my glasses and use the provided ones instead. There were moments when I needed to remove the 3D glasses because my eyes started to feel uncomfortable. If this happens, simply blink briefly and rest your eyes before putting the glasses back on.

It’s the 18th century in the intimate Red Sandcastle theatre. A new form of horror theatre with magic lanterns, shadows, puppetry, and parlour illusions has gripped European audiences. It’s called ‘Fantasmagorie’. Artists Kira Hall, Michelle Urbano, and Eric Woolfe create ghosts that rise from their decomposing tombs, fiery demons and smokey phantoms that cavort through the theatre, and rotting skeletons that materialize out of thin air and then fade into the ether.

At my church service this Sunday morning, we were told that November is dedicated by the holy Mother Church as an intercession for the eternal salvation of the faithful departed. In its twisted mind, Eldritch Theatre takes this meaning of the message from His Grace, Most Reverend Francis Leo, and transcends it to a level of the macabre that makes my head spin, wondering what I am watching. Even Eric Woolfe stops the performance momentarily by asking if the audience is taking in all the convoluted plot.

It’s all good fun, nevertheless.

Rest assured, there’s nothing sinful or sacrilegious about ‘Phantasmagoria 3D!’ and its gruesome tale.

I hope.

Come on, we just passed Hallowe’en. Hell, even we Catholics like to get in on the fun of the night.

The intimacy of The Red Sandcastle Theatre allows the artists to pull out all the ‘proverbial’ stops.

At the beginning of the show, Eric Woolfe, known as The Hobo, enters and speaks in nonsensical one-word sentences. I was trying to determine his accent, as it didn’t sound entirely North American. At one point, he resembled the voice of the demon Pazuzu from William Peter Blatty’s book and film The Exorcist.

Woolfe then performs some magic tricks and sleight of hand that I thought were quite good. Heads up – audience participation is involved, and Woolfe doesn’t just go for the front row. I sat there, and he didn’t pick me, thank God.

Nevertheless, I’m a sucker for that kind of entertainment, and Woolfe delivers the goods.

After the magic tricks, this is where the hour-long intermission-less show goes wonky.

Mind you, all in an amusing way. There’s no need to worry if you don’t get the entire story.

Woolfe begins narrating a labyrinth of a mazelike confounding story that twists and turns, and I had no idea where it was headed. From what I can recall of the story, Woolfe ends up marrying a woman whereby she and we, the audience, enter a world of sometimes graphic and understated sexual play with fart noises abounding and creatures donning ‘relaxed’ male appendages.

Again, it all works. There are moments when it’s crude and rude, but that’s the joy and wonder of Eldritch Theatre. It’s terrific, but you must go in with an open eye and allow the story to work its ‘magic’ on you.

Final Thoughts: I would like to acknowledge designers Melanie McNeill and Micha Dahan for their creative work incorporating 3D elements into the performance. Everything is meticulously timed for maximum effect. There are moments when Woolfe performs in the foreground while Kira Hall and Michelle Urbano work behind the scrim to ensure that each directed moment is beautifully synchronized.

Go, go and see ‘Phantasmagoria 3D!’

Even better, visit the company’s website, www.eldritchtheatre.ca, and see what’s on the schedule for this 2024-2025 season.

Running time: approximately one hour with no intermission.

‘Phantasmagoria 3D!’ runs until November 10 at the Red Sandcastle Theatre, 922 Queen Street. For tickets visit eldritchtheatre.ca.

ELDRITCH THEATRE PRESENTS
‘PHANTASMAGORIA 3D!’
Created by Kira Hall, Michelle Urbano and Eric Woolfe
Written by Eric Woolfe
Designed by Melanie McNeill
Staged Manager: Sandi Becker
Associate Producer: Emma Mackenzie Hillier
Live 3D created by Micha Dahan and developed by The Coalmine Theatre “SunnyClockwork’s’ Artwork Hub” from the SCP Wiki

Performers: Kira Hall, Michelle Urbano and Eric Woolfe