Penny Dreadful's Etherdome review

Three dentists in nineteenth century America are seeking to create pain-free surgery. For two it is the altruistic act and scientific advancement while for another it becomes part of a money-spinning, power-hungry venture. Our three dentists concoct their own potions and elixirs – or pinch them from one another - in the hope of striking it lucky.


A delicious performance by all three actors; from squirming in pain to teeming with malevolence they immerse themselves in each of their roles. At times it wcould be unclear who was playing which character – they also play supporting roles - although this wasn’t helped by limited stage space. There were, perhaps, too many different parts outwith our central three.

The style is very much Nosferatu does dance as the performers move dramatically and dangerously across the stage, re-appearing through curtains and staring down the audience. There’s a great deal of medical rivalry between them which is played out through gothic cabaret and macabre performance.

The venue itself – a specially erected, creaking, wooden carnival tent with swing doors and soft roof – is perfect for such a show and complements the Victorian-style set which houses wooden furnishings, apothecary bottles of varying shapes and sizes and indeed the waist-coat clad actors themselves.

The subject of anaesthesia for a show is curious as it remains a questionable thread of modern surgery despite being around for over a hundred years. There’s an interesting message to the show; that three doctors were ultimately left damaged despite searching for a drug to ease the sensation of pain itself.

3 (and a bit) stars