The Haunting of Blaine Manor has all the ingredients of a classic ghost story: flickering candles, shadowy corners and a single set evocatively dressed with a skull, cauldrons and other got
hic touches — the only thing missing was Vincent Price lurking behind cobweb-covered antiques.
Written and directed by Joe O’Bryne, the play is set in 1953 England and follows American investigator Dr Roy Earle (Peter Slater) – famed for debunking hauntings – who had been invited to investigate the notoriously cursed Blaine Manor. While trapped inside by a raging storm, the manor’s secrets began to surface.
Despite being billed as a horror, it felt more like a good old repertory season whodunnit, with a cast of characters gradually introduced who were clearly invested in their roles. The ensemble — including Ed Barry (Vincent de Lambré), Jimmy Allen (Adolphus Scarabus), Andrew Yates (Cairo) and Jo Haydock (Vivian Rutledge) — provided some enjoyable moments throughout, from small touches of humour and eccentricity to a notable subplot involving the butler.
Where the play struggled was in pacing and exposition. The first half moved slowly, with lengthy scene-setting that sapped momentum. In the second act, when the “paranormal activity” arrived and the sound and lighting effects came into their own, dense passages of occult verbiage — a mix of folklore, history and Dennis Wheatley-esque demonology — were more baffling than scary. As MR James showed so well, ghost stories often work best when less is said, leaving room for the imagination.
Perhaps most puzzlingly, despite numerous references to séances taking place off-stage, we never saw one on stage — a missed opportunity, for if ever there was a production crying out for a séance, this was it.
Still, as an intimate, atmospheric piece of theatre, The Haunting of Blaine Manor delivered committed performances, evocative staging and, most importantly, a twist that rewarded patience. The final revelation tied the story together nicely, providing a satisfying payoff for what was otherwise a hit-and-miss production.
It may not have terrified, but it offered a well-crafted evening of suspense from a company clearly passionate about the tale they were telling.