ANGELA CARTER’S THE COMPANY OF WOLVES (Moth Sanctuary Productions/Scenesaver)*****

 

By Cal

Link on Scenesaver: https://www.scenesaver.co.uk/production/angela-carters-the-company-of-wolves-full-readthrough 

Link on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4fqHKK2YSI

Available until: Unknown

I hadn’t actually read any Angela Carter before, though I’ve seen Emma Rice’s incredible musical adaption of Wise Children. After watching this, I will be seeking out more Angela Carter… though not necessarily to read. Not if I can get Chloe Gorman and Andrew Bate to read it for me!

It actually looks as they’ve only read one Angela Carter story, but Moth Sanctuary Productions, hosted by Scenesaver as well as on their YouTube channel, have uploaded a number of story readings in lockdown, including stories by Edgar Allan Poe (whose stories I was intending to look up after enjoying a couple by him in lockdown), H. G. Wells (who is one of my aunt’s best friends… though he’s probably not the original one) and Charles Dickens (whose Christmas Carol was one of the books that helped me to decide I actually liked reading after all).

I still like reading, but listening to two phenomenal actors giving a creepy reading of an evocative story (that is somehow both hot and chilling at the same time) late at night is also very much my idea of fun. This one was actually filmed in 2019 at the Cheltenham Literature Festival but only uploaded in January.

They have dressed up for the occasion, Chloe in a velvet cloak which is an important part of the story and Andrew in a fur coat and eyeliner. He looks incredible. So does she, actually. They sit in chairs with large black books containing the words and the room around them is decorated with a lamp and… well, I’m not sure what the thing behind them is, but it’s really striking.

Their reading of the story is perfect. Their voices are clear, full of expression and thrillingly sensual. They take it in turns to read, with Chloe reading the young female character’s direct speech and Andrew reading the other two characters. The story is great anyway, but hearing such a brilliant and atmospheric reading of it makes it even better. There is also some beautiful but creepy accompanying music composed by Andrew.

Angela Carter’s The Company of Wolves is highly recommended… as long as you enjoy being scared.