Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Cast: Jana Carpenter, Barnaby Kay, Samuel Barnett, Mark Bazeley, Samantha Dakin, Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Susan Jameson, Nicola Walker.
Everybody can name some horror writers, even if the genre alludes them, or they shy away from the experience due to the fears that grip the imagination or the heart; the ordinary passerby can confidently place a name down in the column of the masters of the frightening mass and walk away knowing they have looked into the heart of darkness and seemed knowledgeable.
Whether you choose Stephen King, James Herbert, Dean R. Koontz, Ramsey Campbell, Clive Barker, or even perhaps Edgar Allan Poe, you know you have spent time contemplating life in the eternal dark and the creatures that live within.
You can be forgiven though for not mentioning H. P.Lovecraft, for even now the great American writer’s name feels as though it has been pushed aside, left out in the outcoming storm, and only venerated by the most serious of devotees of the genre. This is perhaps partly to be expected as the writing that showcases the man is one of outstanding intellect, it is fiercely intricate and driven by a man to whom in his early life at least was driven by a political agenda and dogma that in today’s more clearly defined world was one that dangerous, that is grave and alarming.
Whilst we must not make an apology for the rhetoric, we can at least look upon the art created with a more discerning eye, and if we are adaptable to seeing the art away from the artist, then we can also dedicate ourselves to bringing the piece up to date, and it is with an unbelievable occasion that The Lovecraft Investigations, a showpiece mystery thriller brought to the attention of the listener under the guise of the 21st century intrigue of the true crime podcast, shines radiantly in its first season with the updated and adapted tale, The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward.
Written and directed by Julian Simpson, The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward is a truly inspired piece of horror from one of the Godfathers of the genre, a man to whom should be spoken of in the same reverential tones as M. R. James with the use of the gothic spectacle, or Dennis Wheatley with the overtones of mysticism and black magic worship.
The ten-part series, varying from 15 minutes to a half an hour long makes the belief of the tale abundantly clear, and by bringing it into a modern setting, by utilising the amateur detectives joy of the true crime podcast as a backdrop, what the company have produced is up there with another staple of the audio drama world, that of Big Finish.
Perhaps that is no coincidence when the listener understands the depth of range that comes to the fore with the acting fraternity on board, Nicola Walker’s wonderfully driven performance as she explains the cult in one outstanding monologue that almost takes in almost an entire episode, Barnaby Kay’s reassuring presence as co producer and lead investigator of the brand’s Mystery Machine, Matthew ‘Matt’ Heawood, and pleasurable insight from actors such as the redoubtable Adam Godley, Jana Carpenter, and Susan Jameson.
Mystery is what keeps us alive, mystery is what keeps us in check, for who can resist the idea of solving a case where there is an element of danger attached to it.
A splendid first series that brings out the very best of one of America’s arguably mostly forgotten gems of horror, for all his absolute faults in his life, H. P. Lovecraft’s work as a writer was not in vain as history has come to show.
Ian D. Hall