EDINBURGH 2023: Review: THE HUNGER, Assembly George Square Studios

The Hunger is an intense and immersive survival horror which follows Deborah (Helen Fullerton) and her daughter Megan (Madeleine Farnhill) as they take shelter from their apocalyptic reality on their Yorkshire farm.

From the first moments of the show there is a powerful sense of terror and trauma which never abates, everything from line delivery to stage design fostering a relentless atmosphere of claustrophobia and isolation, rather than one of safety or security. It’s a masterful execution of what could have otherwise been a tired zombie-style horror flick.

The focus of the show is less violent horror, although elements of that appear throughout, but rather on the relationship between mother and daughter as they hide from the outside world. The performances of both Fullerton and Farnhill are excellent throughout, with some very dramatic and exaggerative scenes feeling as authentic as one can expect in a story set outside of reality.

As well as striking a note of deep foreboding from their first interaction – it is clear something is terribly wrong although not yet evident what – the contrasting deliveries of a traumatised young woman (with a convincing thousand-yard stare to match) and her protective mother (seeming to take it all in her stride) shows the power imbalance in their dynamic immediately.

In some ways the relationship between the two is a typical mother-daughter relationship, set on the backdrop of an atypical world. The heated arguments, yet clear love for each other, tells the age-old story of a rebellious daughter trying to make their own way in the world free of their protective and over-bearing mother. At times however, Deborah’s protectiveness veers into controlling, infantilising, and even abusive that leaves the lingering doubt: is the true horror coming from inside the house?

The stage layout and the use of the wings of the audience to exit and enter scenes heightens the tension and sense of being in the world with them. The fourth wall is never broken, but it never feels like there is a wall between the characters and the audience to begin with. Glimpses to the outside world are a vehicle for Megan’s hope and her increasing sense of desperation and ultimately furthers the sense of dread, though at times the format felt like telling rather than showing and became slightly repetitive. There is a constant feeling of seclusion and paranoia, with enough doubt to make you wonder if the dangers faced outside are as literal as Deborah states.

The simple yet effective use of lighting and sound effects to convey the passing of time sets the scene on the small stage well. In the dark of night, the tension is palpable; in the light of morning there is an expectation of shattered peace. The play never drops its pace, any slower moving scenes punctuated by jump scares or the anticipation of one, and a sense of constant bleakness. It speaks to human consumption in a broad sense and to the lengths people will go to survive and protect those they love. It is a tale of human desperation, a twisted sense of love, and how the average person can justify almost anything in the right situation.

The Hunger provides enough detail to shock and withholds just enough to let the audience’s imagination run to its worst conclusions. It’s well-directed and well-written, never in danger of being a simple re-hashing of a formulaic zombie horror. It’s brought to life by the performances of Helen Fullerton and Madeleine Farnhill who display a depth of understanding of their characters and their motivations that the show would be lost without.

Like being plunged into a horror movie, this is not a show for the faint-hearted or those looking for an uplifting tale of humanity, but certainly a show that should be on every horror lover’s Edinburgh Fringe list.

The Hunger runs at Assembly George Square Studios (Studio Four) Aug 13-14, 16-28.

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