The Haunting at the New Vic Theatre
Ghost stories, whether you are a cynic, believer or just plain scared of your own shadow, they have been a source of fascination for thousands of years – Review by Mel Osborne
Children scare each other silly with tales of ghosts which doesn’t lessen with age as the stories get older and bolder. Charles Dicken’s fascination with ghost stories was reflected in much loved tales such as A Christmas Carol, a tool to educate Scrooge of his skin flint ways.
(Image David Ahmad and Richard Leeming. All images by Andrew Billington.)
Charle’s Dickens’ The Haunting leaves you asking the question – Is there life after death or is it all in our minds?
The New Vic theatre brings to ‘life’ this compelling play written by Hugh James and directed by Eleanor Taylor.
On appointment of organising the estate of the deceased owner of a haunted mansion, David Filde (Richard Leeming) is convinced the manor is haunted by a ghostly figure. A notion fuelled by a gossiping coachman which is quashed quickly by the New Lord Grey (David Ahmad), who claims not to have witnessed any such thing.
In a dark and desperate quest for the truth Filde pushes Lord Grey to discover secrets that the mansion possesses. What follows is two hours of heated conversation as Filde charms and persuades Grey into his line of thinking, a journey that starts off fun but leads to danger.
Richard Leeming delivers an engaging performance as the naïve city boy, desperate for the answers of this mysterious house. His impressive delivery for a high energy play which requires exceptional stamina was faultless.
Ahmad is cast perfectly with a laissez faire attitude to the mansion’s future which he plans to sell on to a local philanthropist.
This play is not recommended for those with nervous dispositions, but if you enjoy horror stories you will certainly get your money’s worth.
The terrifying moments tend to be where you least expect and the suspense fuels the fear. The illusions are very impressive and impossible to fathom which is credited to Dr Will Houstoun – an illusions consultant.
There is a danger when creating a ghost story on stage to fail to chill but the strength of this performance is the nuanced method in which each illusion, each fact and story twist is delivered.
Taylor’s articulated direction and steady pace led to the believable reveal of the apparition (played beautifully by Jessica Hole).
The New Vic excels at quality performance, and this was no different as each part of the production was carefully crafted from the soft, but subtle lighting and the ornate but chilling scenery, to the intense music and sound effects.
This is certainly a play for those with a keen interest in psychology and for dramatic jump scares. Although the theme seems dark for the beginning of summer, this Victorian classic makes a refreshing change – although you may not want to make the journey back to your car alone.
The Haunting is a well-crafted, suspenseful play, that will keep you on the edge of your seats.
5 stars
The Haunting is at the New Vic Theatre until Saturday 15 June. For details visit the theatre HERE
