The Haunting of Hill House

Hill House gets all the attention in this adaptation of Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel, but less of the menace. The acclaimed Netflix adaptation has renewed interest in the title, bringing its own expectations to the stage. Martin Constantine's production is certainly intent on bringing the building to life, but its inhabitants, and the stakes between them, remain stubbornly indistinct.

Eleanor arrives as Dr Montague's guest. Sian Howard's Mrs Dudley, the housekeeper, steals up on her (and us) to offer a greeting, giving this brief encounter more presence than much of what follows. It's not long before rocking horses begin moving unaided, bedcovers are pulled up by themselves, and a wrap is drawn over Eleanor's shoulders. The building disturbances come from a place of ingenuity, but with an equal risk of fishing wire becoming a performer in its own right. All the while, three-dimensional projections are allowed to solo across the back wall, their synthetic, occasionally video-game appearance doing little to help the Gothic.

Jasper Britton's Dr Montague arrives with camera and pipe in hand, a pastiche (or parody) of the pipe-smoking paranormal investigator. Whether the joke is intentional remains unclear, and his later, heavily played emotional scenes do little to dispel this doubt. Sophie Lenglinger gives Theodora a sprightly entrance, though that energy never quite develops into a convincing relationship with Eleanor. Her rapport with Montague is equally strained.

Several ambitious moments unfortunately warp toward comedy largely at the behest of their devices. The laughter in the stalls suggests the intended unease is slipping away. Jemma Churchill's Mrs Montague brings a welcome sincerity to the second half, much as Howard's Mrs Dudley does at the start. It is telling that the minor roles leave the stronger impression. The central relationships never acquire enough weight to draw out the stakes. Though, there's only so much fishing wire that can hold the Haunting of Hill House together.

The Haunting of Hill House by Wiltshire Creative, Theatr Clwyd. Credit Wiltshire Creative.