The Haunting of Hill House

This was a challenging play on many levels for a small society to undertake. The plot involves the supernatural so special effects for both lighting and sound were required. Also the actors needed to display a changing demeanor as they made the journey from curiosity and scepticism through doubt and fear to outright terror. The play is also very wordy and one character in particular, Dr Montague, had a hefty amount of dialogue to get to grips with.

Before the curtain rose the mood was set by some powerful, almost threatening music. And between scene changes a repeated tick-tock was heard. Fortunately for the audience the ensuing sounds of the supernatural were loudly overt rather than sinister and quietly threatening so hopefully no one in the audience suffered from too many nightmares!

The set was well designed. Part of the stage being the wood-panelled drawing-room of the Haunted House and the other part Eleanor’s bedroom. As there were many changes of scene from one to the other this was a most practical way of staging the play. It allowed the scene changes to be speedy with just sufficient time for the actors to change costume. Whilst the tick-tock, tick-tock indicated both movement of time and of course menace.

The play is in two acts and although it is not a long play the first act is disproportionately lengthy, one hour twenty- five minutes. I have not had an opportunity to read the script so presume that must be how it is written. I do wonder if it might have been an idea to ask permission to move the end of the first act forward, possibly before the entrance of Mrs Montague and Arthur.

With such a wordy play, good diction is vital to maintain the audience's involvement in the plot. In the main this was good but at times a voice was allowed to drop a little. It must be remembered that many in the audience will have less than perfect hearing and hopefully you will have chosen a play they as yet do not know.

Casting was good and appeared true to the ages of the characters. There were some excellent performances with real terror being shown.  Costumes, hair and makeup were all in keeping with the setting. The stage was set attractively and the impact of the double doors closing as if by some supernatural hand was most effective. This was a busy play for the techies and the many sound effects and lighting changes worked just right. The final voiceover at the denouement of the plot was a little muffled though, perhaps at other performances it had been fine.

It was good to see that the auditorium was almost full as I understand it had been for the remainder of the week. Especially good as a society in the neighbouring town had also played to full houses just the week before. Amateur theatre is alive and well, at least it is if the audience is tempted in by something exciting and challenging.

Congratulations to you all for scaring, and entertaining a very rapt audience.

 

 

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