Stage: Chills & thrills

A new Susan Hill thriller comes to the Theatre Royal Brighton

A new stage thriller from The Woman In Black author, Susan Hill, starring Andrew Lancel, Diane Keen and Robert Duncan is coming to the Theatre Royal Brighton.

Susan Hill, the million-selling author of The Woman In Black, the dramatisation of which has run in the West End for 25 years, has once again been adapted for the stage.

This time, her 2010 novel The Small Hand tells the story of Adam Snow, a dealer in 19th and 20th century paintings who accidently comes across a derelict Edwardian house after taking a wrong turn. Curiosity gets the better of him, and he approaches the front door to take a closer look, but is hit with a chilling sensation as he feels a small cold hand reach for his own. Over the coming weeks, Snow suffers recurring nightmares and panic attacks and tries to find out more about the house and its occupants, whilst the small hand continues to reach out for him.

The critically acclaimed The Woman In Black became one of the most terrifying stage plays ever staged, and now, The Small Hand promises to take audiences to a new level of terror.

Leading the cast is Andrew Lancel, who takes on the role of Adam Snow fresh from his West End run in Epstein. He is best known for his role in long-running ITV soap Coronation Street as the evil businessman Frank Foster, which won him ‘Villain of the Year’ at the British Soap Awards in 2012. He also starred as DI Neil Manson in The Bill and Barry Pearce in Series 4 of Bad Girls.

Starring alongside him is Diane Keen, one of British television’s most popular actresses, who starred in the late ‘70s sitcom Rings On Their Fingers. Until 2012, she was best known for her role in BBC daytime soap Doctors, playing practice manager Julia Parsons.

They are joined by Robert Duncan, who is best known for his role as jargon-spouting chief executive Gus in 1990s newsroom sitcom Drop The Dead Donkey. He has played in theatres the length and breadth of the country, and played many leading roles including Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre, Frank in Willy Russell’s Educating Rita, and most recently starred in 12 Angry Men.

The Small Hand, Mon 3 – Sat 8 Nov, Eves 7.45pm / Thu & Sat mats 2.30pm
www.atgtickets.com/brighton*
0844 871 7650* (*booking fee applies)