Review: IT WALKS AROUND THE HOUSE AT NIGHT, Southwark Playhouse

In spite of being one of the most difficult genres to stage, horror theatre is having its moment. The Woman in Black might have closed at the Fortune three years ago (almost to the day!), but the success of Paranormal Activity at the Ambassadors is proof that audiences are hungry for some spooky drama. The crowds demand, ThickSkin Theatre provides. It Walks Around the House At Night is a deliciously spine-tingling triumph of stagecraft. Written by Tim Foley and directed by Neil Bettles, it’s as traditional as it is innovative.

Its narrative leans into the original custom of ghost stories, turning the piece into an exorcism of current anxieties. The story becomes a vehicle for social commentary. Joe’s life will never be the same after he’s hired for an unusual acting job: walking the grounds of a mysterious country estate to scare the Lord’s nieces at night. The promise of a handsome fee is enough for the out-of-work actor, so he accepts blindly. As he starts his haunting, he is not alone. 

George Naylor embarks on an indefatigable tour de force. He carries the play with energetic flair, handling the chilling shifts in tone with deft timing, a curated cadence, and polished charisma. His gaze freezes, his delivery eases, and the previously jovial personality chills with dread. Every minute of quiet is just long enough to send a pit down your stomach. Tension knots as the tale grows into itself, expanding the lore of the plot and offering a variety of exciting coups de théâtre.

Adrenaline acts as an interlude between the creeping sequences of measured suspense, while the points of levity perfectly counter – but never overpower – the depths of fear. Pete Malkin’s soundscape amplifies the natural rhythms of the genre, manipulating the audience and, obviously, giving a few pleasant jump-scares. The set (by Bettles and Tom Robbins) is a character in itself. Making use of blackouts and swift, evocative lighting tricks (Joshua Pharo, also on the video design), the scene transforms into a nightmarish playground for Naylor and Oliver Baines. The latter gives an incredible physical performance, never uttering a word, yet speaking volumes.

Foley puts on display the monstrous side of privilege with a precise metaphor that’s unequivocal in its purpose. The socio-politically engaged twist is unexpected in its zeal too, exploding in a surgical analysis of class consciousness and societal resentment. It works. The writing is lyrical but not overblown, eloquent but not bloviating, colloquial but not boring. Bettles establishes a taut pace from the start, calibrating each beat flawlessly so that there are no empty lulls or wasted silences. The title may be wordy, but the production is not.

This show has it all. It’s not so scary that you’ll want to flee the venue halfway through, but it will also keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s entertaining and captivating, well-written, smoothly directed, and superbly acted. Good horror is back on stage.

It Walks Around the House At Night runs at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 28 March.