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It’s been a few years since I’ve experienced an “H.P. Lovecraft Festival” show from RadioTheatre. They’ve been a mixed bag, but this year’s entry, The Whisperer in Darkness, is a strong one. Adapted by RadioTheatre founder Dan Bianchi from the Lovecraft story of the same name, it’s narrated with gleeful zest by a professor (Frank Zilinyi) who is drawn into an investigation of mysterious beings inhabiting the misty woods of “Dark Mountain,” a fictitious locale in northern Vermont. Do these entities have an earthly origin? Are they demonic? Supernatural creatures? Aliens? And are they as hostile as they seem?
The show’s mystery, danger, and tension derive from the sci-fi aspect of Lovecraft’s intricately through-imagined universe. Clips and teasers from 1950s and ’60s science fiction movies and TV shows greet the audience upon arrival. When the professor enters and the show begins, the screen shifts to depictions of the action as he narrates it. These include photographs, special effects, and video communications from the other main character, Akeley (R. Patrick Alberty), the local farmer at the center of the mysterious goings-on.
The videos embody the typed or handwritten letters described in the original 1920s tale, and they effectively elevate the show from storytelling to live theater. The interaction between the increasingly paranoid in-person professor delivering his lecture, the increasingly panicky farmer on screen, the smart and spooky visuals, and Bianchi’s brilliant sound design add up to a meticulously crafted production. It’s a smashingly smooth piece of old-school radio-style theater.
It’s a bit long, particularly in the extended dénouement. But I choose to take that as a reflection of Lovecraft’s legendary wordiness. It wouldn’t be H.P. Lovecraft without going too far in one way or another. That’s part of what those of us who love him love about him.
The Whisperer in Darkness fuses classic horror, retro pop culture, and deceptively high-tech sound and visuals. If that sounds like your bag, rush to it before it vanishes into the fog of Dark Mountain. Visit the RadioTheatre website (it’s retro too) for more info.
FRIGID New York presents RadioTheatre’s 14th Annual H.P. Lovecraft Festival through July 27, 2025. Get tickets online.
