The reviews are in for The Haunting of Hill House, Stef Smith’s new stage adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel, from its week at Richmond Theatre on 6-10 October. Directed by Martin Constantine, it follows Clancy Ryan as Eleanor, one of a small group invited to Hill House by Jasper Britton’s Dr Montague to look for evidence of the supernatural. Ten critics filed. Most praise the projections, lighting and illusions; fewer were frightened. Ryan’s Eleanor draws the most consistent praise, while the rest of the company divides opinion.
The verdict: ten reviews of the Richmond Theatre week, all of them rated: three four-star notices, one three-and-a-half, three three-star and three two-star, an average of just over three out of five. The critics agree that the design is the strongest thing about it, with the video, lighting and illusions praised even in the weakest notices. They divide over whether it is actually frightening, and over the performances, with Sophie Lenglinger’s Theo the clearest split.
What are critics saying about THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE?
The Reviews Hub
“Chilling paranormal tale”
Reviewer: Tiffany R. Ragsdale
Tiffany R. Ragsdale gives the production four stars. She praises a set that changes room through projected wallpaper and furniture that moves on its own, and a small lit dolls’ house that tells the audience where in the building each scene takes place.
“When it comes to performance, Sophie Lenglinger as Theo steals the show with a consistent, all-consuming stage presence.”
She finds Clancy Ryan slow to settle as Eleanor before taking control in the second half, and singles out Sian Howard’s Mrs Dudley for her comic timing. One strobe effect, she notes, gave its trick away.
Theatre Weekly
“It’s a well crafted book to stage adaptation, and is a play that keeps you thoroughly on the edge of your seat”
Reviewer: Katie Shaw
Katie Shaw credits Ti Green’s set, with the lighting, sound and video design around it, for an eerie evening, and finds the jump scares hard to predict even for those who know the story.
“This adaptation boasts a strong cast who come together to deliver a brilliant, unified performance.”
Her one reservation is that grief, which ties the characters together, is explored properly only for Eleanor and is passed over quickly for the rest.
Fairy Powered Productions
Reviewer: Carly Burlinge
Carly Burlinge thinks the show finds a way of frightening an audience that belongs to the stage rather than to the screen.
“The atmosphere is unquestionably the star of the evening.”
She faults the second act for explaining too much of what the first left open, and finds some of the louder scares less lasting than the quieter dread.
Read Carly Burlinge’s full review at Fairy Powered Productions
London Theatre Reviews
“A ghostly exploration of love, grief and family ties”
Reviewer: Bethany Chandler
Bethany Chandler rates the stage design and lighting as the best of the production, and enjoyed an audience reacting out loud to every creak.
“It's not a show that will necessarily leave you with nightmares, but it'll certainly have you jumping in your seat!”
She would have liked more physical scares in place of sound effects, and more time spent on characters other than Eleanor.
Read Bethany Chandler’s full review at London Theatre Reviews
BroadwayWorld
Reviewer: Cindy Marcolina
Cindy Marcolina admires the projections, lighting and sound, and notes that Martin Constantine keeps the jump scares to a minimum. She finds the performances uneven, praising Ryan and Howard but not the pairing of Lenglinger and Robin Morrissey.
“It might not be the most profound or the scariest, but it’s chillingly entertaining.”
Theatre and Tonic
Reviewer: Becky
Writing for Theatre and Tonic, Becky points out that the adaptation follows the novel rather than the Netflix series, and praises Will Houstoun’s illusions.
“Ryan’s standout performance illustrates why the concept of The Haunting of Hill House is a timeless one.”
She feels the projections sometimes look too modern for the setting, and that the other characters lack the depth that would make the hauntings feel personal.
All That Dazzles
“A visually striking production, but over-reliance on design and uneven writing mean it ultimately fails to deliver genuine scares”
Reviewer: Ruth Sealey
Ruth Sealey calls the design stunning and praises Jasper Britton’s Dr Montague and Howard’s Mrs Dudley, but her main complaint is simple: it is not frightening enough.
“It is visually impressive but ultimately lacks the tension needed to make it truly unsettling.”
She also finds the pacing uneven and the love triangle between Theo, Luke and Eleanor awkward.
WhatsOnStage
Reviewer: Aliya Al-Hassan
Aliya Al-Hassan finds the production stuffed with horror clichés and the script expository, though she allows that it looks and sounds handsome, crediting the sound and video design.
“It might be high on style, but it is far too low on substance.”
Everything Theatre
“Plenty of theatrical bells and whistles, but this underwhelming gothic adaptation falls short in its execution”
Reviewer: Owen Thomas James
Owen Thomas James likes the lighting, the video and the illusions, but finds the set unconvincing and the long scene changes tiring. Ryan, in his view, is the one actor with a clear line through her character.
“The production ultimately mistakes activity for atmosphere.”
Liam O’Dell
Reviewer: Liam O’Dell
Liam O’Dell finds the investigators either weak or hard to bear, and their story arcs contradictory.
“Horror is dependent on the uncertain, so what use is a scary story on stage if it’s unsure of itself?”
He also argues that the loud sound design works against the scares, and that the dolls’ house on stage goes largely unused.
The production opened at Salisbury Playhouse in September; we covered its full cast announcement at the time. After Richmond, the tour plays Theatr Clwyd (13-17 October), Theatre Royal Brighton (20-24 October), the Palace Theatre, Manchester (27-31 October), Liverpool Playhouse (3-7 November), the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (10-14 November) and Cambridge Arts Theatre (17-21 November).
