Writer: Ali Milles
Director: Alastair Whatley
On visiting old or historic buildings, which of us hasn’t uttered the cliché, ‘If only walls could talk…’. Some feel 
that not only can they ‘talk’ but also remember; that the lives and events that they witness somehow permeate the fabric of the building itself, waiting for a sensitive to unlock them.
Crofts in the highlands of Scotland weren’t pretentious; their occupants were barely able to subsist. Nevertheless, they have witnessed notable, even infamous events – not least the Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries, when many crofts were reduced to rubble.
The Croft examines three stories that one such building has witnessed; three stories that somehow resonate with one another over the years.
Laura was brought up on the croft, though her family appears to have been quintessentially English – this, along with other aspects of her family’s history, is never really adequately explained. She now lives miles away in England, having not been back to the croft for several years after her mother died. But now she’s back, on a romantic quest with her new love, Suzanne. It isn’t all easy-going – Suzanne is rather older than Laura and is still getting to grips with the idea of a single-sex relationship, having been married for some time with two teenage boys to care for. She can’t quite come to terms with the remoteness of the croft, which also means, for the first time, she cannot be there for her family as there is no landline nor mobile signal. And she can’t quite understand why a vivacious young woman like Laura might want her, several years Laura’s senior. Laura and her mother were undoubtedly close – Laura certainly feels that she has come home – but there is also a distance. And then Suzanne discovers a photograph of Laura’s mother, which is like looking into a mirror for her.
They are visited by David, a local who keeps an eye on the croft for Laura’s father and whose history is somehow woven into that of Laura, her mother, Ruth, and father, Tom. He is taciturn, until he starts telling the story of two women, Enid and her young companion younger Eileen, who lived in the croft nearly two hundred years earlier. Eileen was cast out by her family when she became pregnant; both women apparently disappeared mysteriously during the clearances.
The stories of the three pairs of women intertwine sinuously as we learn more of what the croft has witnessed. The connections are cemented by having the same actors play similar roles in different stories, so Gracie Follows plays present-day Laura, her younger self interacting with her mother and Eileen, while Caroline Harker plays both Suzanne and Laura’s mother. Gray O’Brien brings us both David and Alec, the man who has brought shame to Eileen.
Ali Milles’ writing allows the action to move seamlessly between the stories, while the otherworldliness of the set-up is accentuated by Alastair Whatley’s direction. The parallels between the stories are teased out, but many questions remain, at least for this reviewer, unanswered. The whole has an air of mystery and atmosphere, but we’re never quite sure exactly how the past events are chiming with each other and the present, nor if we’re watching them occur or experiencing the building’s supernatural memory of them. Billed as a thriller, apart from a few jumpscares, it’s rather short on thrills and ultimately unsatisfying.
Harker brings the voice of reason in both of her roles. Suzanne’s inability to fully let go is well drawn, and the impact this has on her new relationship is well-painted. We similarly come to understand Ruth and her decisions as she struggles with illness.
Follows brings a naïve enthusiasm to Laura. We can see her delight at coming home as well as her disappointment at Suzanne’s muted reaction. Her interactions with Ruth show childlike joy, while as Eileen it is she who is perhaps the more objective.
O’Brien brings us the mysterious ghillie, David. We’re left wanting to know more – there are tantalising hints about his past story. But he shows perfectly the balance he strikes internally between the here-and-now and the past.
Liza Goddard plays the witch-like wise woman Enid with glee. Enid is intent on defying the clearances and her ultimate fate. She brings an air of mystery to the role, although her haphazard highland accent can be a distraction.
Adrian Linford’s ingenious set brings together the old and new within the croft in some detail, as well as allowing glimpses of the wild world outside. Together with Chris Davey’s atmospheric lighting, it truly gives a sense of place, making us feel as if we are perched on the very edge of existence.
Not quite a thriller, not quite a ghost story, it’s not clear where The Croft sits. There are too many loose ends that leave us confused. There’s undoubtedly scope here, but at present, it’s largely unrealised.
Runs until 14 June 2025 and on tour
