A social satire meets ghost story meets musical: if that sounds like a lot of elements jostling against each other, it is. But it works. ‘Elysium’ tells the unfortunate tale of a young couple who move into Elysium Court, a gated community harbouring a dark secret. It’s a two-hander, with Milly Blue on storytelling duties and Jessie Maryon Davies handling the (fantastic) live score. Its horror deals more in atmosphere than cheap shocks, with Blue’s words conveying some truly haunting images, augmented by some effectively dramatic lighting. With songs in several styles, a stack of characters and multiple plot threads, it threatens to feel overstuffed, but the show manages to pull most of it together for a satisfyingly chilling denouement.

Gilded Balloon at Appleton Tower, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Jon Stapley]