Review: CFCC’s Let the Right One In

On November 22nd, 2025, Cape Fear Community College staged Let the Right One In at the Wilson Center Studio Theater in Wilmington, North Carolina. Jack Thorne’s adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel merges adolescent coming-of-age with horror, which felt especially immediate in the small black box setting. Since this production leaned heavily on a tight ensemble and flexible staging, the choices made by the cast and designers carried a lot of weight. Overall, I believe the CFCC production was engaging and thoughtfully executed, particularly because of its committed performers and design work, even if some aspects of the adaptation kept certain themes from landing as strongly as they could have.

The play follows Oskar, a socially isolated teenager who is bullied at school and longs

for some kind of connection. Everything shifts when he meets Eli, a mysterious child who has recently moved into the neighborhood with an older caretaker named Hakan. As their relationship grows, the town is shaken by a series of unexplained deaths, hinting that Eli’s arrival may not be as harmless as it first appears. The story moves between the schoolyard, Oskar and Eli’s homes, the neighborhood playground, and the surrounding woods, tracing how the bond between Oskar and Eli complicates both of their lives.

Thorne’s script normally makes Eli’s vampirism fairly central, but this production kept that element more muted. The ambiguity created an interesting atmosphere, but it also softened some of the deeper subtext and themes that the story usually explores. Some of these topics include: identity, bodily autonomy, and the unusual kind of trust between Eli and Oskar. Even so, the writing still allowed moments of real emotional grounding. Since CFCC had a small cast, a few characters were combined and some subplots were trimmed. Those adjustments changed certain relationships, but the overall story held together. Still, more openness about Eli’s supernatural identity would have given the arc a stronger foundation.

The acting was easily the production’s strongest asset. Maddy Liva, who played Eli, brought an intensity that was sharp, strange, and vulnerable. Her quick movements and sudden stillnesses made Eli feel slightly out of place in their own body, which perfectly fit the character, even if the constant jumping gave me secondhand knee pain. One moment that stood out was when Eli tried to eat the foam-banana candy from the Lovers Cart. The attempt to seem “normal,” followed by the vomiting after Oskar left the stage, captured Eli’s longing for connection in a way that felt genuinely sad, as well as, showcased Eli’s true inability to be normal and human. Parker Bird’s Oskar matched Liva’s energy well. His nervous posture and uncertain body language made Oskar’s social struggles immediately readable, and the bullying scenes were particularly affecting because of how exposed the character seemed. Charlotte Fuchs added nuance and depth to Micke. Instead of treating Micke as just another bully, she gave hints of hesitation and guilt that felt very authentic to how teenagers often behave under peer pressure. Eva Campbell’s portrayal of Oskar’s mother verged on caricature, almost detective-thriller style, but she handled the physical moments well. Even though some of her early prop work felt exaggerated, her overall performance showed commitment, especially considering that this was her first show after high school.

The design choices complemented the story in a way that felt intentional without being distracting. The sound design was minimal and purposeful, using wind, grunge-y songs, and distant voices during transitions that gave the show a slightly eerie feeling without overwhelming the actors' performances and matching the level of set design. The offstage sound of the changing-room door trying to be forced open was a small moment, but it grounded the scene nicely. Lighting relied on blackouts and selective spotlights to shift attention across the stage. This kept transitions tight and clear, but sometimes verged on taking the audience out of the plot. 

Costumes and makeup stayed simple, which suited the tone of the show. Oskar’s facial injury looked believable under the lights, and the outfits made it easy to distinguish adults from kids. At first the clothing seemed modern for a story originally set in the 1980s, but the current trends that imitate ’80s fashion made the choices feel more intentional. Micke’s acid-wash Canadian tuxedo and Eli’s pink cardigan with frilly socks were especially effective costuming details as well as cute items of clothing. The set made smart use of the black box environment. The large jungle-gym structure served as nearly every major location, from bedrooms to an interrogation room to the actual outside. Some floor-level moments, like Eli’s attack on Jocke, were unfortunately hard to see unless you were in the front row, but the flexibility of the design outweighed that limitation. The simple painted backdrop of trees and the charming rolling candy cart (complete with string lights!) added personality to the world of the play.

Even with a few areas where the adaptation felt slightly muddled, CFCC’s Let the Right One In was a compelling and thoughtfully staged production. The performances, especially from Liva, Bird, and Fuchs, brought real emotional depth to the story, and the design choices created a consistent atmosphere that supported the actors rather than distracting from them. Ultimately, this production offered an emotionally engaging experience solidified by impassioned acting and resourceful design.