Fringe horror play 'Aberration' sells out with twisted family secret
The dark thriller about a family harboring a sinister past has drawn multiple sold-out shows at LabO theatre through June 27. Tickets are $14 plus fees.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
A Fringe play about a family with a dark secret has captured audiences with its blend of Southern Gothic atmosphere and genuine suspense.
"Aberration," created by Lee Murry Chetwynd and produced by Lockpick Theatre, unfolds inside the Cain family home. The play opens with the family at dinner—the patriarch Aldous reading lazily, mother Mary-Annette pacing, and siblings Abraham and Abigail sitting cold-faced at the table. When eldest brother Andrew appears at the door with blood on his face, having been missing for days, his siblings react not with relief but with dread. Something is wrong with him—not the kind of wrong they expected, but wrong in a way only they can sense.
What follows is a 45-minute journey filled with blood-curdling screams, suspenseful music, and a family unraveling its own dark history. Director Iris MacKay and her "wickedly talented cast" move through high-tension scenes with precision, according to reviewer Audrey Pridham. The characters of Abraham and Abigail drive the narrative forward with chilling performances as they uncover why Andrew disappeared and why he has returned.
The production leans into the horror genre with onstage effects—props, sound, and lighting combine during intense moments to create an unsettling experience. One standout moment features a pool of blood emerging onto the stage, earning gasps from the audience. The show builds deliberately, refusing to rush its revelations, and consistently wrong-foots viewers' expectations about where the story heads.
"Aberration" is playing at LabO until June 27. Tickets are $14 plus service fees and can be purchased online, at the Fringe box office (Fringe Courtyard, 67 Nicholas St), or at satellite box offices at Arts Court (2 Daly Avenue, 3rd floor) and La Nouvelle Scène (333 King Edward Ave).