The Haunting

The ambience in the theatre sets the tone for the spooky tale: the lights are dimmed to flickering candlelight, even the announcement asking people to switch off their phones is with eerie echoing effect. These important little details are part of what makes this a very special production, and they start even before the curtain opens.

The tale is set in 1865, with a young book dealer David Filde visiting the son of his firm’s deceased client Lord Grey, in order to catalogue his books for sale value. The entire play takes place in the library, with French windows at the back opening onto countryside beyond. The bookcases are crammed with old books, the set places it in the time period with desk and candles in candle holders placed around. It feels suitably like a small space, and the sense of foreboding and dread increases through the play with both actors holding the tension. There are lovely details in the set giving it the sense of being neglected, with wallpaper peeling in places: the whole set complete with secret door later is very well done. This is a gothic tale with obvious similarities to ‘The Woman in Black’: a man alone going through papers left by a deceased person in an isolated house experiencing strange sounds and apparitions. Dickens gives this due gravitas of course, and the tale is very well told, and not a copy.

Despite this being an old tale, director Cathy Durrant has told this in a modern way with a lot of modern tech which is gorgeously done. Her direction is detailed and full of care; it’s the details that really make this stand apart from other shows. There is a wonderful soundscape of horses hooves along pathways when called for, ghostly goings on and everything else in between. The pieces of music are a wonderful choice too. The lighting is gorgeous, filling the stage with red at one point, red coming through the secret door, and the lighting differences between day and night plus candlelight are all incredibly well done. Another standout is the moving projection of the woman appearing, moving slowly as if under water: wonderfully evocative, and the end apparition is a lovely juxtaposition. There were very many people jumping in the audience in reaction to what they were watching, showing the visible build up of tension through the acting, the tech, and the direction as a whole: great job.

This is essentially a two hander, between the characters of David Filde played by Matthew Thomas and Lord Grey played by Antony Barden, both looking absolutely every bit the part in period costume. Matthew plays the young and eager David with a reserved affectation which perfectly suits the character. He is quite quickly drawn into the ghostly goings on, and the audience sympathises with him doubting himself and his eventual growing belief. His increasing anxiety is played incredibly well, while still trying to remain professional and reserved as much as he possibly can. Antony in contrast is the Dana Scully to his Mulder, coming up with every rational explanation in the world as to what could be going on instead of supernatural occurrences: their opposite positions make for a great drama and it’s played without the obvious conflict choice which is brilliantly done. Antony plays the level headed Lord beautifully and when he is confronted by the obvious, which makes his belief come crashing down, he does this so very well. Grace Thomas plays the projected cameo ghost role really well too. This is a play where all the acting is of the highest standard which means we as the audience can really lose ourselves in what we are experiencing.

This is a production where every little thing has been thought out and everything works to the highest standard. The audience were suitably spooked and audibly debating the ending which is always a delight: when it’s not necessarily obvious. Among the other delights were the sounds of tiles falling off the roof, owls hooting, the sounds of someone arriving at the house, footsteps, a lovely marble looking foreplace, books flying off shelves, and the way Matthew lit the candles, making sure that turning them on was not in front of the audience which would have taken them out of the storytelling.

The biggest congratulations on a wonderful production to every single person involved.

 

Susanne Crosby

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