Let The Right One In
08 May 2026
Underbelly Boulevard
2.0 out of 5.0 stars
Let The Right One In, currently running at the Underbelly Boulevard until 23 May, is a stage adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s original vampire novel. Adapted by Jack Thorne and staged by the National Youth Theatre, the story of Oskar and Eli comes alive on stage.
Oskar is being bullied at school, he lives with his mother in a housing estate on the edge of town and struggles with school and life in general. When a string of gruesome killings have the town on edge, he meets Eli, a teenage girl who recently moved in next door. The two forge an unlikely alliance with unexpected consequences.
The stage is quite bare for this one, but the National Youth Theatre does a lot with it. A few scaffolds serve as various set pieces while light effects help set the mood from blue ripples for the swimming pool setting to wafting moonlight for night scenes. Despite the very limited means, it draws up a great playing space for the actors, evoking a series of locations with ease.
Unfortunately the production is let down by the script, which has managed to adapt a horror story into a series of scenes devoid of any tension or terror. At no point is there suspense or fear built up in the audience. The selection of scenes adapted include several completely pointless ones that don’t even build up atmosphere, while the more gruesome and violent scenes are cut short or only hinted at. It’s certainly an odd choice of scenes that unfortunately results in a play that doesn’t even carry a hint of the tension that both the iconic book and film of Let The Right One In have in droves.
While the young actors are doing their best with the material provided, they are hindered by the limits imposed by the script and the limited stage, which doesn’t quite allow them to connect to the audience.
This production is not bad by any means, it just lacks depth and tension. If you’re a fan of the film, maybe skip this one though.
