The Huron Bride

Fear of the unknown is amongst the most primal of fears. Historically set in the remote forests of Upper Canada, the Huron Bride is effectively an educational piece disguised as a scary ghost play. The haunted mill backdrop superficially sets the horror tone, with suitably moody lighting (often only a single portable lamp) and sound effects. The plot is boilerplate and predictable, which will leave ghost story aficionados rolling their eyes as there is no unknown, and hence no visceral fear for the audience to experience except the odd crashing prop.

We may have seen the plot in broad strokes before, but the strength of the script is in craftily painting a picture of personal life in rural Ontario nearly two centuries ago. This is the real unknown for the average audience, for whom I'm guessing CBC's Murdoch Mysteries commercials are the primary source of period Canadiana.

With the exception of the male lead flubbing a few lines and delivering others reminiscent of the bearded priest in Little Mosque on the Prairie, the cast successfully conveyed the hardship, as well as the social tensions and conventions of the time. I might not have been scared, but was thoroughly creeped out by Leanne Govier's performance as the troubled half-Indian child Lyca. 

I somewhat enjoyed The Huron Bride, but it's more like I appreciated it. Especially given that Vertigo is offering $25 seats in the back rows, which we took advantage of. Now that your fright expectations and costs have been managed, you can go learn about but not fear the historical haunted hinterlands at Vertigo Theatre through February 23.