This February, atmospheric horror is set to spread across the country as It Walks Around The House At Night embarks on a UK tour. Presented by Wigan's award-winning theatre company ThickSkin, this chilling ghost story by Manchester-based playwright Tim Foley promises jumpscares, dark humour and spine-tingling twists. We had a chat with Tim about the show.
- The show promises to terrify audiences and is described as a "chilling ghost story." As a writer, how do you approach building sustained tension and fear on stage, and what techniques do you use to achieve those "jump scares and spine-tingling moments"
I think horror on stage has the potential to be the best kind of horror – it features real people and it's happening right in front of you. And the tension emerges when you care about the characters, you're intrigued about the central mystery, and the threats keep growing and growing. Our protagonist Joe is a likeable sort, both funny and frustrating, and he has five nights to figure out what the danger is. As the week progresses, things get darker and more dangerous.
The script is only ever the starting point, though. There's a rich history of tricks and illusions in theatre, utilising sounds and lights and movement. Our director Neil has worked on lots of shows which use magic and surprise reveals, many of which are coming into play here. I can't possibly spill any secrets though!
- The core concept revolves around an actor taking a job to "play a ghost" and then confronting real horror. What specific real-world or fictional sources inspired this meta-theatrical take on the traditional ghost story, and what themes were you keen to explore through the lens of a desperate, out-of-work actor?
There are two modern horror juggernauts of the stage and I love them both – “The Woman in Black” and “Ghost Stories”. Both feature spooky tales being presented on stage, be it via a rehearsal or a lecture. They hark back to the time-honoured technique of ‘someone telling a ghost story' – which you see in everything from M.R.James to Uncanny – so it's a tradition I wanted to play with. We're removed from the events of the narrative, and yet gradually they catch up with us.
And there are lots of new discoveries to be made in the format. The out-of-work actor angle lets us comment on the current theatre industry and the economic climate in general. I've taken a great deal from my days as a struggling creative – there were certainly times when that was a terrifying experience itself!
- The production features a Tony Award-winning sound designer (Pete Malkin). How did you, as the playwright, approach writing sound and atmosphere into the script? Were there specific sonic moments or moods you insisted on, knowing that the audio experience is crucial for delivering a truly spine-tingling theatrical horror?
I've written lots of audio drama (especially for “Doctor Who”), it's one of my favourite mediums – so I was very clued-in about how I wanted it to sound. At the same time, I didn't want to be too prescriptive in the text, because I love space to discover stuff as we build the show. Neil's a great director for this. We had all sorts of sounds and ambiences played in the rehearsal room from very early in the process. It's allowed us to really embed the soundscape of the world into the play. So I warn you, if the story gets too scary for you, closing your eyes is not enough!
- The play takes place in an old countryside manor, a classic horror setting. How did you approach writing the house itself as a character or presence in the script, and what unique possibilities does the theatrical space—compared to film or literature—offer you to create an immersive and terrifying sense of place for the audience?
The ‘spooky old mansion' is such a staple of the horror genre, isn't it? Again, IT WALKS… is a process of taking old traditions and seeing how they look in a modern light. Gothic countryside piles are a rarity these days – they're National Trust properties or apartment complexes, if they're even still around. But they remain symbols of wealth, and that's something fun to play with for our penniless actor!
In terms of the unique possibilities of the theatrical space for horror – it's like I said earlier, there's an authenticity to the horror experience when you're sitting in an audience and watching it on stage. And that's even with the disclaimer that we all know this ‘authenticity' is fake – it's a play, this is an actor, none of it's real! Yet when you're sitting in the dark, when you're listening to Joe tell his story… there is every chance you'll believe that ghosts are real.
More info: here.