Qulture Magazine

Words: Madi Briggs

Closing the festival was Darkfield Radio’s ‘Eternal’. A show that I had never experienced
anything like before, it made for an interesting way to round off another year of the Fringe.
The show kicked off with a warning, both right before entering the Old Lab at Summerhall
and then again while getting comfortable. “This is your last chance to leave now”, a pretty
terrifying message to receive at any time, not just before experiencing a show that’s set in
complete darkness, where you can’t see anything at all.

When I walked into the room, I was immediately drawn to the layout. The room was filled with tables and chairs that faced each other and single beds, each adorned with
headphones to guide you on your chosen path. For me, ‘Eternal’ was my destiny, so off to a
bed I went, which, was a very nice, yet slightly odd, way to enjoy a Fringe show. It wasn’t an
issue being told to close my eyes for the whole performance but not fall asleep as the
intriguing storyline and petrifying way of telling it, keeping me wide awake.

Following the story of a stranger who’s achieved eternal life, you sometimes felt as though you were stuck in Groundhog Day, recounting the same experiences over again as he offers the chance of eternal life too as long as you “open the door”. The sound production was incredible which is a good thing as the show relies heavily on sound in order to immerse you inside the story. A combination of real sound and sound in the headphones made my heart race and palms sweat and left me on the edge of my seat (or bed in this case).

There were some parts which left me more frightened than others. Most notably, the parts
when I could feel the presence of the stranger beside me, breathing, talking, licking his lips
and in pitch black, those experiences aren’t something I would have opted for in my list of
good night out activities…Disorientating, terrifying and compelling. At just 25 minutes, Darkfield Radio’s ‘Eternal’ is a complete showstopper and a prime example of what a horror show should look like. Make sure you catch the show next year if it returns before it goes onto bigger stages as it’s bound to do.