The Silk Lining is a scripted psychological horror play presented as an academic lecture that gradually unravels into something far more disturbing. When an anthropology professor begins examining a mysterious artefact, his research draws him into a pattern of symbols, language, and sound that resists explanation. As his obsession deepens, colleagues and observers become entangled in the same unsettling phenomenon. Told through precise text, sound design, and controlled performance, the piece explores how knowledge can alter perception — and how simply hearing the wrong thing may be enough to begin a transformation that cannot be undone.

This is a cosmic-horror stage play by Dan Walmsely that weaponizes language, sound, and academic authority. Told through lectures, interviews, and recorded voices, the play examines obsession, forbidden knowledge, and the terrifying idea that understanding something may change it — and you.

It stars Henry Korba-Babcock, who plays all characters.

Sound and Lighting Design by Will Smith-Blyth