Horror, like comedy is a difficult genre to pull off as a theatrical experience. There is always the danger of straying into too obvious tropes and trying too hard to avoid cliché.
Created and performed by Olivia Cordell, Bog Body is an immersive solo show which takes the form of a lecture, delivered by newly qualified forensic anthropologist Dr Alyssa Kim, who is presenting her research on a set of remains discovered in an Irish peat bog: Kilgarvan Woman.
There is an air of authenticity from the beginning as the opening minutes of the talk draws from the real-world phenomenon of bodies found across Northern and Western Europe, naturally preserved in peat bogs, often dating back thousands of years.
Whilst being slightly flustered by the non-appearance of her research partner, with whom she expected to conduct the exposition, Dr. Kim presents the project with a passion and an endearing sense of self-deprecation. This is no dry presentation. She is fascinated not only by the science underlying the existence of how peat preserves bodies but also uses audience testimonies to expatiate upon the stunning ability of living bodies to heal wounds and fractures, linking the healing of tissue in the living with the information we can gain from healed and unhealed tissue in the long dead.
As the lecture progresses, though, a gradual sense of unease and disquiet begins to develop; lights flicker, odd bursts of static are heard, and the presentational technology begins to malfunction. Tension grows. And attention begins to stray more and more to the covered remains lying on an adjacent trestle table covered on stage by one thin white sheet.
Did it suddenly move, or did we imagine it?
Dr Kim, in expatiating the concept of how many of these bog bodies were discovered and naturally preserved, begins to lose a little of her composure, and the mask of savoir-faire slips a little, especially when reference is made to the fact this particular body was believed to be the victim of some form of ritualistic or sacrificial killing, evidenced by rope marks found around the neck indicating that the cause of death was strangulation and not drowning in the bog.
This observation leads onto an appreciation of the role that superstition played, and still plays, in studying these ancient victims, with Dr Kim scathingly referencing tabloid enthusiasm for creating subplots based upon the well documented mental health problems of female professors linked to their research on Kilgarvan Woman. The word “curse” is never far from the conversation.
What began as an interesting academic lecture has suddenly turned into a chilling exposition on something far more sinister. When events spiral out of control, we are faced with the shocking realisation that a standard presentation given in an anonymous lecture hall has been transformed into a visceral possession of both the speaker and the space by the angry spirits of the dead.
It would be revealing too much of the denouement to say anything other than that we witness a battle for the soul and well-being of Dr Kim in the final few moments.
This is already quite a lot to pack into 55 minutes, and yet the play has ambitions to be something a little deeper than a mere recreation of well-worn gothic horror tropes.
During the lecture, an underlying thread is developed which, drawing parallels with the brutality shown towards women centuries ago, suggests that contemporary women, too, remain oppressed, specifically in society’s fascination with their suffering, fear and victimisation. That the mental scars of fear, pain, loneliness and rejection last as long as the physical, visible scars on our body.
With more than a nod to traditional horror constructs. Bog Body is an entertaining, sometimes unsettling but always thought-provoking piece of theatre, delivered with nuanced skill and perfect timing by an always watchable actor who holds our attention throughout.
Review by Johnny Oxford
Created and performed by horror influencer Olivia Cordell, Bog Body is an immersive solo experience following a forensic anthropologist presenting her research on a set of supposedly haunted remains discovered in an Irish bog. What begins as an academic lecture, spirals into a chilling confrontation with something far more sinister.
BOG BODY
The Glitch
29 April to 4 May 2026
