THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE

Whether the delayed start of last night’s performance was due to a technical hitch or merely put there to heighten the audiences sense of unease, that initial scare certainly did the trick and set the tone for an evening of classic ghost drama. I’m no fan of ghost fiction having spent too many nights in a tent in my scout and cub days with some older boy telling tall tales with a torch under their chin. But that simple lighting trick stays with me, and truth be told, the highlight here was indeed the excellent lighting, complex projections and clever set. The extensive creative team at work here did a five star job, design by Ti Green, lighting Chris Davey, video Duncan McLean and illusions created by Will Houston, all maintaining a high level of spookiness for sure. Composer Harry Blake and sound designer Johnny Edwards kept that mood with a soundscape of pulsing beats, discordant swoops and screeching strings worthy of a Hitchcock, and in saying his name it does prompt the thought that this was all rather old-fashioned. Not a criticism as modern tech had made possible a rather effective period piece, and, all in all, some very impressive staging.

Photo: Pamela Raith

Director Martin Constantine seemed also to have gone for a period feel to the whole by which I mean in performance style rather than just date. And for the most part this worked, but not wholly. I felt confused by the lesbian thread which once suggested was taken no further and just left hanging, the character of Luke played by Robin Morrissey felt almost superfluous and there was a definite air of “Scoobydoo” about Dr Montague and his wife. Jasper Britain and Jemma Churchill made the most of what they had been given to work with, which was not much. Sophie Lenglinger suffered in the same way from a part doused in confusion and delivered with a far more contemporary air than her fellow performers. Sian Howard’s Mrs Dudley was perfectly played though with a sinister restraint and knowing edge throughout.

Photo: Pamela Raith

The highlight in terms of performance goes to Clancy Ryan whose presence was exceptional and captivating from the very start. She totally engaged with the period styling, kept the tension plausible and nailed the horror moments with real impact, shifting seamlessly from one scary cameo to the next.

I had not read the book, not seen the film or the TV series so came to this fresh and filled with anticipation. What I got was a very smartly delivered piece of theatre based on a somewhat predictable ghost story, a curate’s egg of a show in which no curate was employed to exorcise the short comings.

Andrew Kay

20 October

Theatre Royal Brighton

Rating: