The Haunting of Hill House (touring) - ★★★★

As another Halloween approaches and carving pumpkins start appearing in the supermarkets of Great Britain, it is not surprising that theatres are keen to put on spooky-themed shows around this time of year. Producer Mark Puddle has plenty of experience bringing interesting and innovative shows to London, and he’s teamed up with the talented crew at Wiltshire Creative and Theatr Clywd to bring a brand new touring theatrical version of The Haunting of Hill House to UK theatres. This week’s outing is being performed in the beautiful and suitably ornate Richmond Theatre before travelling to Mold, Brighton, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Cambridge over the trick-or-treat season. So can this new adaptation of Jackson’s American ghost story scare us senseless, or is it just a damp squib on a dark night? Well, with all the bangs, bells and whistles from the hotshot creative team and some spine-tingling acting thrown into the mix, it’s a horrifically fun way to spend an autumnal evening in the theatre.

It has fallen to Olivier and Scottish BAFTA-winning playwright Stef Smith to adapt American author Shirley Jackson’s 1959 seminal supernatural novel into something viable for the stage, distilling its spooky essence and shadow dancing into an exciting couple of hours of witty wordplay and eerie experiences. She has allowed the scenes to breathe for themselves, rather than trying to pack too much dialogue from the book into the time she has been given, and this decision has permitted the creative team the space to conjure up all manner of sights and sounds, developing our sense of unease and foreboding as the play progresses. The mood is immediately set by the sound of a large bang as the stage turns to black, jolting us out of our pre-show bonhomie. As the lamps go up, we see slivers of light behind layers of gauze and the outlines of a large wood-panelled room. As the show progresses, we find ourselves in a situation of shadows, regrets and longings, told through the meeting up of specially invited guests to a place that has a reputation for being haunted by its previous owner and his family. Paranormal investigator Dr Montague and his wife have hand-picked two women with histories of psychic abilities and poltergeist experiences to help them with their investigations. Eleanor and Theo have never met before but have an immediate connection at Hill House. Thrown into the group is Luke, the nephew of the house’s current owner, a family member of the rumoured apparitions, who comes to oversee the proceedings. Finally, we have the living ghost of the mansion’s original housekeeper, Mrs Dudley, who watches on as the merry band encounter their hopes and fears. There is plenty of jiggery-pokery and illusion as the slim story unfolds, with a satisfyingly intense payoff for our invested interest.

Director Martin Constantine brings an operatic feel and his deft touch to these uncanny proceedings. He has encouraged some strikingly complementary and physically demanding performances from the cast. Each actor brings something different in the manner and execution of their part. Clancy Ryan takes on the pivotal role of Eleanor with a clarity of voice and quiet desperation. She is possessed in all senses of the word. Every action and subtle move helps us to understand the importance of her character to the central storyline and what may be happening to her as she changes within the confines of Hill House. Theo, the empath and psychic who acts as the foil to Eleanor, is played by an engaging Sophie Lenglinger. She is wonderfully louche, lyrical and flirtatious, using her expressive body to convey Theo’s progressiveness and her eyes to show her intentions to her fellow housemates. Jasper Britton as Dr Montague gives off an air of intelligence and weary soul-searching. Jemma Churchill, as his wife and investigative partner, arrives on stage with vivacity and attitude. Mrs Dudley is given her unnatural demeanour by Sian Howard, who wafts about the gothic rooms with knowing, disapproving looks. The cast is completed by Robin Morrissey, performing listless Luke, making the most of his character’s opportunities and disappearing when the going gets tough.

The creative team has worked its magic to make this show as evocative as possible, overtly complementing the actors’ work on the stage. Set and costume designer Ti Green, with the help of the Wiltshire Creative Scenic Workshop, has excelled in the delivery of the expansive, demountable, flexing set. The monumental flats give every illusion of being in vast rooms within a gothic mansion, and the clever use of removable panels, which fly up into the gods, allows the stage managers to push tables, beds and chairs into the action. The hinged wall to stage left moves in and out between each scene, and with different lighting palettes, it clearly signals the passing between rooms in the house. The gauzy curtain that drops to the front of the stage lets us peer through monochrome animation to the nefarious goings-on behind. With video design from Duncan McLean and the thoughtful lighting of Chris Davey, we are transported visually into a layered world of shadows, flickering lamps, floating gothic arches and strange behaviours. The acoustic paraphernalia, heavy bass and dynamic range of sound used by designer Johnny Edwards, plus the evocative piano notes of composer Harry Blake, further heighten our immersion into the supernatural surroundings. Illusion designer Will Houston adds extra unearthliness to the scenes with special effects that make toys play by themselves and writing appear as if by alchemy. Green’s costumes clearly root the play in the time Jackson’s novel was published and skilfully establish each characterisation by the cast.

Smith’s adaptation delivers a sparse plot containing a small band of troubled characters with suitable backstories, and Constantine has given the actors the room they need to physically inhabit each character’s soul effectively. It’s a lively production about death, repercussions and the possible afterlife. The actors clearly enjoy this opportunity, and Clancy Ryan is particularly affecting towards the climax of the story. This show uses extraordinary audiovisual techniques to build its paranormal atmosphere, perhaps leaving us wondering more about how they do that rather than what we are feeling. It’s a well-rounded, entertaining but dark, assault of the senses sort of show and worth seeing if you like being moderately shaken for amusement.