# Missing boy sparks village suspicion in Bristol Old Vic’s Lanny adaptation

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/stranger-things-turn-an-english-village-upside-down-in-max-porters-rural-noir-lanny/
- Published: 2026-10-23T12:23:46+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T12:52:19+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/oct/23/lanny-review-bristol-old-vic-max-porter
- Topics: Business, Culture, Markets, Offbeat, Weird & Viral

## Key points

- A missing boy’s case intertwines with an old pagan legend.
- The staging mixes rural horror, humour and village satire.
- The review praises the atmosphere but finds some themes underdeveloped.

## Summary

A family’s move from London to the countryside is unsettled when their young son, Lanny, disappears, and a local artist becomes the chief suspect. The Bristol Old Vic adaptation of Max Porter’s novel blends a village mystery with the legend of a pagan “green man”, using the story to explore parenthood, belonging and rural suspicion.

Bea Roberts’s adaptation is praised for its pace and eerie atmosphere, supported by a haunted woodland set, projected images and contrasting lighting. The review says the production balances horror with satire, though its many strands sometimes crowd out domestic realism and questions of race, homophobia and who belongs in the village; the ending turns surreal and offers a possible miracle.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.