The Haunting of Hill House

Despite supermarkets foisting Christmas on us, we’re well and truly into spooky season now – and the latest theatrical horror is the stage adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s novel The Haunting of Hill House. It has previously been adapted for the big screen in 1963 & 1999 (under the title The Haunting), and more recently inspired a mini-series for Netflix; Stef Smith is responsible for bringing the novel to the stage, and this production is directed by Martin Constantine. This week it is haunting Richmond Theatre, before heading back out on tour across the UK. Dr Montague has made it his aim to prove the existence of ghosts – and that they aren’t there to harm us. To this end, he recruits Theodora (who has latent psychic abilities) and the recently bereaved Eleanor when he heads to Hill House; the heir to the estate (Luke) also joins them to try and protect the family interest, and housekeeper Mrs Dudley reluctantly tends to their basic needs. Whilst Eleanor acts on instinct, Dr Montague…