“5…4…3…2…1.” whispers in the dark

As the medium somberly counts down, my eyelids close heavily and I relax even further into my chair. I try to ignore the table of eyes I feel watching me, inhale and exhale through my mouth as instructed, and wait. I hear her picking up an antique doll I had seen on the table and, when the rustling quiets, I receive my task. In the darkness, the medium tells me to raise my hand if I feel a tap on my shoulder; I do. She tells me to indicate how many taps I felt – two – and point to where I felt them – behind my right shoulder. Above the audible gasps from the table, I am told to open my eyes. The medium explains that she was not the one who had tapped my shoulder; she, instead, had tapped the doll in the exact same place and rhythm as I reported feeling while my eyes were closed. We had indeed summoned something from beyond the veil…

Photo: Eric Boguslavsky

Whispers in the Dark invites twelve guests into the den of Krystyn Lambert, a spiritual medium, to conduct a séance that will hopefully reveal the truth behind a mysterious case of arson and murder, unsolved for centuries. Over the course of an hour, guests mostly observe the proceedings, but will help Lambert summon nearby spirits through sporadic, light interaction (writing, passing objects, answering questions); only two participants may be pulled up to the front of the room to aide in an example of spiritual connectivity. While Whispers in the Dark is not an intense show – and, therefore, not ideal for participants who want elevated interaction, horror, or agency – it is limited to guests age 18 and over due to its creepy, haunting ambiance and subject matter. Restless spirits are capable of contacting the living, and this séance boasting impressively sly effects evolves into a compelling, if fictional, murder-mystery. Lambert tells participants the story of a mysterious arson case that resulted in several deaths, and seeks to uncover the truth of the fire. She progresses through the narrative of the Banks family and punctuates her story with audience participation, brushes with spirits, and some entertaining magic tricks.

Whispers in the Dark is a traveling production, and as such needs to be easily transportable, which means that many of the effects are limited by a less established set-up. The music and sounds come from a nearby speaker, and the lighting design is dependent on the room’s electrical outputs supplemented by prop candles. While Whispers lacks the meticulous art direction that only a sit-down production like Cross Roads’ The Séance, another 2019 experience concerned with communing with the dead, can support, there is a charm to the impermanence of the environment which lends itself to a perhaps unintended backstory; this medium goes wherever she is needed by lingering spirits. The props are appropriately antique and off-putting – old sepia photos of the Banks family line a shelf on the wall, an enlarged newspaper clipping about the fire hangs on the curtained back-drop, and small glass shelves house various enchanted accoutrements – all worth taking a closer look at after the séance proper.

Photo: Eric Boguslavsky

Krystyn Lambert makes for a compelling and capable medium, commanding guests’ attention – including performing magic tricks – and leading the entire hour on her own. Since the show is designed for twelve people around a table, Lambert needs to put guests at ease being up close and personal, as well as hold their attention for the duration and she succeeds quite well. With a less-than-stellar audience (one or two guests were snickering), Lambert was able to bring everyone back into the fold, making eye contact and inviting the rude guests to participate directly. She was equally adaptive when it came to issues specific to the space.* Lambert especially impresses in a physical sequence during which a spirit takes control of her body. She is a real class-act and quite a polished performer.

*Haunting attended Whispers in the Dark during its first performance at one of its rolling locations, Magicopolis in Santa Monica. The public nature of the space included many logistical issues that detracted from the performance. Whispers in the Dark is aware of the distractions and will move to a different venue for future performances.

Will we still be able to communicate with our loved ones after we die? What if we didn’t die peacefully? Will we be able to make the truth known to those still living, in the hopes that someone will know what actually happened to us? While experienced participants may long for more interactivity, Whispers in the Dark is a fun and simple introduction to participatory experiences. It provides a slight creep factor (especially to those who are sensitive to the spiritual realm) while showcasing delightful magic tricks and a well-acted narrative. Without any jump-scares, Whispers in the Dark allows guests to dip their toes into entertaining immersive waters and take a peek behind the veil.

As Whispers in the Dark will be changing venues, keep up to date on their website, Facebook page, and Instagram. Check out our Event Guide for more immersive and horror events throughout the year.

If you like the above article and want to find more like it, make sure to join our community. If Facebook is your favorite, follow us there and become a part of our groups for Immersive Horror fans and/or Immersive creators. We’re active on Instagram, posting evocative imagery and informative stories to promote our reviews and recollections; follow us there. You can even find us on twitter; click here to follow. For those who want to explore deeper, we have a vibrant Slack community with new event alerts and immediate ticket sale announcements; click here to join. And subscribe to our event calendar to get emails for all or specific events (look for the link right under the calendar)! Finally, we have a newsletter that comes out once a week; click here to sign up.

whispers in the dark whispers in the dark whispers in the dark whispers in the dark