Bloody Fairy Tales: Paul Strickland Abby Solomon

The opening of this performance began with the dimming of lights, a series of eerie screeches, and a symphony of uncanny sounds. Paul Strickland's Bloody Fairy Tales cues off right away that this is not the kind of fairy tale one listens to before bed, truly an experience the average person does not expect. Written and performed by Paul Strickland, the show presents a triad of stories told through a uniquely interactive and expressive style of storytelling that hauntingly entranced the audience. His greatest strength is his ability to transform his voice into an uncanny lull, with deliberate changes within his tone of storytelling that creates moments of unexpected surprise, including effective jump scares that completely caught the audience off guard. Yet the performance was not entirely filled with chilling stories. Across the three stories, Strickland explored a multitude of emotions, that shifts between humorous quips and suspenseful and unease with remarkable expressiveness.

His connection with the audience was particularly impressive, his eye contact really entranced you into his devilish stories making the performance feel even more personal. His expressive eyes became another storytelling tool, communicating emotion even whilst he was speaking.The technical elements only illuminated his skills and added to his storytelling, with a special highlight on the lighting and sound design by Erika MacDonald, who worked in harmony with Strickland’s performance, heightening suspense and adding atmosphere without taking away from the stories themselves.