This new work based on the infamous local haunting comes the stage in this new version from Paul Unwin that feels underpowered and far longer that the actual runtime. In recent years the West End has seen a revival in the ghost story. Form the huge commercial success of 2:22: A Ghost Story, the continuing revivals of Ghost Stories and, of course, the much-missed The Woman In Black. This new play tries to piggyback on the trend but unfortunately misses.

The Play follows a small family unit (Led by Catherine Tate) experiencing Poltergeist activity in their house. Threlfall plays a struggling father-like figure who is there to aid investigation. It really has great potential to be full of scares but isn’t and the attempt to tackle class divides doesn’t quite shine through. Without the depth of exploration, the result is an audience who when presented with the hauntings actual feel an apathy or humour towards them.

Lee Newby’s set is the real star of the show. Masterfully capturing the feel of the 1970’s council home. The home of the disturbed family feels both sparse and claustrophobic. It really transports you to what feels like the original Enfield house. This is however woefully underused and I do urge any theatregoers not to look too closely in case you ruin any surprises for yourself.

The hauntings themselves feel predictable and underdone. This is a rare miss from Illusions consultant Paul Kieve who gave us fantastic work recently in Groundhog Day at the Old Vic. In a west end currently full of masterful tricks whether looking at Matilda or The Time Travellers Wife this piece doesn’t hold its own in what is a theatre scene where the bar is already set high; especially when considering the same theatre hosted the fantastic Ghost Stories previously and around the corner there’s the fantastic illusion and stage work in Stranger Things: The First Shadow at The Phoenix Theatre. I do acknowledge the latter example does has the weight of a Netflix budget behind it but we also have to consider The Woman in Black terrified audiences for a full 33 years on a modest budget and sparse set.

Tate tries to hold the production together despite what seems an underdeveloped script and through necessity begins to play comedy to try to keep some audience connection which she is desperately missing from Mo Sesay’s neighbour Rey who should be a breath of fresh air. David Threlfall delivers a creation that is incredibly engaging and at points heart-wrenching.

The issue arises in the fact none of the cast seem to be interacting/listening to each other and all seem to be from separate plays so they never quite gel. If the cast took the time to listen to each other they’d have a better chance at telling the story.

Both Tate and Threlfall try to extract as much humanity as they can from a script that gives them precious little to work with. Everything we see here is at face value. Angus Jackson’s direction just doesn’t seem to have had the authority to unify the production and cast and the attempts at tension actually result in lethargy.

I will mention Grace Molony who has obviously done a lot of work as Margaret (one of the daughters) who feels like a fully fleshed character. Her energy is unmatched throughout and I hope to see her in other work in the future. I feel sorry for Ella Schrey-Yeats who is perfectly cast for her haunting looks as Janet (The supposedly possessed daughter) but never really gets a chance to do anything more than sleep or thrash about.

This is a surface level production running at a merciful 75 minutes this show is one to watch if you have a die hard wish to see a star name. I went into this really wanting to love it as a massive lover of the performers, creative team, plays and frightening material and unfortunately, I left feeling let down.

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