The Haunting of Hill House takes over Richmond Theatre
As the nights draw in and Halloween approaches, modern audiences are flocking to the theatre for a specific kind of adrenaline rush: the communal, heart-pounding thrill of a live ghost story. Having recently caught this brilliant new stage adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s literary masterpiece The Haunting of Hill House at Richmond Theatre, we can safely say it is an absolute triumph, delivering a spine-chilling, unforgettable night out.
Following our incredible evening at the show, we sat down with stars Clancy (playing Eleanor) and Robin (playing Luke) to discuss the thrill of live jump scares, digging into iconic literary source material, rehearsing alongside mind-bending stage FX, and what it takes to bring Jackson’s haunting world to life on stage.
Stage thrillers like 2:22: A Ghost Story and Paranormal Activity have seen a huge success in popularity. Why do you think modern audiences are craving that shared, live experience of fear right now?
Clancy: I think it’s because the communal experience is heightened! When you sit in a room and a jump scare catches eight hundred people off guard at the same time, there’s a real joy in recognising the shared experience. It’s palpable.
Shirley Jackson’s novel is widely considered a masterpiece of supernatural fiction. How did you both approach preparing for the roles?
Clancy: As you’ve rightly pointed out, the book is wonderful, so I started there. Eleanor’s arrival at Hill House sets her on a really profound journey, and I wanted to really embody her evolution throughout the play. There’s a great line in the first chapter that talks about the fact Eleanor “had no friends” because she’d spent “eleven years caring for her invalid mother, which had left her with some proficiency as a nurse and an inability to face strong sunlight without blinking”. It’s beautiful. And says so much about who she is and her experience. So, for me, it was a great jumping off point. We’re so lucky with this source material. The novel is full of information like this that we can gather and use in our work.
Robin: I like to approach a script like a detective. If its written well, which this one is, every question you have about the character can be found in what they say, or what they don’t say! And every actor will read and interpret that differently which is what is so exciting. For me, approaching Luke or any character always starts with that, and then we bring our own personalities, the research we do, the other actors in the room and director and it all gets thrown in sort of tumble dryer over rehearsals and spits out a character. It’s a thrilling discover always.
What was it like during rehearsals learning to act alongside effects that have to trick a live audience in real time?
Robin: Well, like the audience will be, a lot of the best effects came for the first time when we got into the theatre itself. For a long time in rehearsals we were using table bangs to signal something supernatural. Luckily we are accompanied now by some unbelievable FX – the sound, projections, lighting – The whole shebang. Its a feast for all the senses!
Ghost stories rely heavily on rhythm, timing, and chemistry between the cast. How did the two of you build that precise, shared pacing to ensure the suspense lands perfectly every night?
Clancy: We had a great creative team, who all have such a finely-tuned instinct for how tension needs to be built and then released in order for the play to land, so we’ve been really fortunate. But we also learnt so much once we got the play in front of an audience and could see how they were responding. We did some tweaking in previews and it was really thrilling to see how marginal changes can be the difference between a moment landing with an audience, or not.
Robin: In a funny way, I have felt like we have approached it the same as any play or drama. It still relies on that thing which happens between actors and if we get that right and tell the story, the timing and the chemistry should be there.
Live theatre always carries an element of unpredictability especially when complex illusions and special effects are involved. Have there been any spooky or unexpected moments during rehearsals where the stagecraft took on a life of its own?
Clancy: Oh yes. We had several moments in the rehearsal room when our research up on the wall would fall down spontaneously, and quite loudly! I like to think Shirley was in the room with us.
Having Shirley Jackson’s son, Laurence Hyman, involved with this production adds a deeply personal layer. Has learning about her inspiration and background shaped how you view the story or your role?
Robin: Wow, yes how incredible to have his backing and the support of Shirley Jacksons estate. What an unbelievable woman and writer she was. If you haven’t read the book I urge you to do so. It is so gripping. I suppose knowing we are telling that story with their blessing makes it all the more special for us to do.
Opening at Richmond Theatre ahead of Halloween season sets a perfectly haunting backdrop. What do you hope audiences take away with them when the house lights finally come back up?
Clancy: I want people to have a really thrilling evening, and experience that wonderful adrenaline rush you get from a good ghost story. But also the play delicately looks at experiences of grief, and asks whether we live with our ghosts, so I hope audiences connect to that exploration.
Robin: There couldn’t be a better time to see this show, with the nights drawing in and Halloween approaching. I hope you come, and get scared and jump and laugh and more than anything else join us in Hill House if you dare.
"The Haunting of Hill House" show is on until 21st November and you can grab your tickets at https://thehauntingofhillhouse.co.uk/.
