As much as anything, Let the Right One In is a fable about intolerance, prejudice and heroism. Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindvist and adapted for the stage by Jack Thorne, it explores what it means to respect the humanity in each of us, even if someone seems inexplicably different. Mysterious and strange.
Oskar is a student in high school. He’s bullied and humiliated by his peers. Jonny (the leader of the pack) is pathological, going to extremes to make Oskar’s life miserable. His alcoholic mother is supportive until he’s called on the carpet. Then she, too, attacks him. His dad seems friendly enough, but his self-absorption makes him clueless. His coach is encouraging, but he too, fails Oskar. Turning a blind eye, or too stupid to notice Oskar’s abuse by toxic alphas. Oskar is, in a word: trapped.
Eli is a girl who lives in the forest. Realm of enchantment, danger, and the forbidden. It seems there is perpetual snow, and cold so merciless, it’s uninhabitable. She is exotically beautiful (the same age as Oskar) subdued and tentative. As they come to know each other, it’s clear she’s withholding something. But Oskar doesn’t assume there’s something nefarious going on. Their courtship almost feels like a game, but it doesn’t have a predatory vibe. Oskar, even when he feels confounded, respects Eli’s privacy. Gradually, they fall in love. Both of them fringe-dwellers, both of them outsiders.
Lindvist has concocted a story in which worlds collide, and petty assumptions skewered. The gang of thugs who torture Oskar, do so because he has no protection. Because underneath weak people are too often held in contempt, even if we can’t admit that to ourselves. Let the Right One In tips everything over. Bullies build self-esteem by degrading Oskar, the people in his life (who should be his advocates) are insipid and feckless. The only one truly in his corner, is Eli, a vampire in a story that never uses the word. She is tacit and yet, in her way, forthcoming. She is caring and brave and sweet-natured. Everything a villain couldn’t be.
The actors in Let the Right One In bring strong authenticity and focus to their performance. A dazzling aspect of Outcry’s productions is the use of choreography. We might only expect this in a musical, but Outcry has it down. The dance pieces are imaginative and intriguing, expanding and enriching the content. The set design feels playful, yet dangerous. The pervasive mist sets the mood beautifully, and who doesn’t love the tingles of a foreboding, enticing forest?
Outcry Theatre presented: Let the Right One In. It played August 4th-13th, 2023. Addison Theatre Centre. Studio Theatre. www.outcrytheatre.com. 972-836-7206