Writer: Paul Unwin
Director: Angus Jackson
In the 1970s the claims of ghostly goings on at a council house in Enfield became national news, sparking widespread debate behind the family’s claims and whether there really was supernatural activity at the property. Since then, it’s remained infamous – with multiple adaptations over the years. Ambassadors Theatre’s offering is surprisingly only 75 minutes long and features Catherine Tate (Peggy Hodgson) and David Threlfall (Maurice) as the two leads.
For months the family home has been plagued with flying furniture and whispered voices in the walls. Mum Peggy has enlisted the assistance of paranormal investigators in the hope of banishing the spirits from her home, or at least getting some proof that her family aren’t liars and there really is something sinister at play.
All of the activity during the show takes place over a 24-hour period, with the audience getting to spend a night in the Hodgson household during an intense evening of paranormal experiences. Although it’s made clear throughout the narrative that the investigation has been going on for months, it would be great for the storyline to have spanned over time rather than cramming everything into one night. Spreading across a range of dates would allow the story to breathe a bit better, as well as showcase more character progression and development.
The real story the show is inspired by is an interesting one, many claiming that the teenage girls – Janet (Ella Schrey-Yeats) and Margaret (Grace Molony) were making up the stories for attention, while others were convinced the stories were true and a poltergeist was ravaging the family home. Unwin’s script leans into the latter – providing a few jump scares and ramping up the spooky atmosphere with multiple appearances from the ghost himself both overtly and in the background of various scenes.
He still sprinkles in some doubt though, with Margaret openly admitting some stuff was fake and they did it as a laugh. While this creates confusion for some audiences, it also helps to capture the confusion and doubt that surrounded the story at the time – forcing everyone to see both sides of the arguments for and against the truth behind the hauntings.
Unwin also references the fact Maurice’s daughter (also called Janet) had died in a motorcycle accident prior to him investigating the Hodgson house, encouraging further speculation into the motives of the investigation as well as the desperation to believe in ‘the other side’. Threlfall is believable as the overworked investigator, certain that he can get answers for the Hodgsons while simultaneously soothing his own grief. Tate theatrically embodies Peggy – occasionally injecting humour into her lines which doesn’t always quite suit the storyline but does help to break up some of the lengthy dialogue.
The script occasionally tries a bit too hard to squeeze everything in and reference every instance, making the dialogue patchy and stilted at times, but overall, it represents the Enfield allegations well. Molony and Schrey-Yeats are believable as the young sisters – Molony capturing the daringly mischievous spirit of her character perfectly, and Schrey-Yeats flitting between isolated and susceptible to possessed and demonic with ease. Noah Leggott as young brother Jimmy innocently appears to have nothing to do with the hauntings and desperately tries to connect with his mother, uncle and the investigators in an attempt to not be forgotten about in the midst of everything.
The driving force behind what makes this play compelling is the visuals – the set (Lee Newby) immediately portrays a rundown council house in the 70s, using split levels to separate the rooms within the house, allowing for scene variety and realism. The lighting (Neil Austin) and sound (Carolyn Downing) work in fantastic conjunction together, creating genuinely chilling moments – with some extremely notable and memorable scenes such as (avoiding spoilers as much as possible) the bedroom possession and the fireplace shocker. The stage is lit perfectly, to ensure that any figures or movements that aren’t supposed to be seen, are deftly hidden, so no accidental reveals or shadowy suspicions take place.
Creating horror on stage is always a hard feat to pull off, but The Enfield Haunting manages to accurately portray the various nuances within the original hysteria that surrounded the allegations, while also delivering a fun, easy watch for an audience. The few shock moments are enjoyable – and not overdone, and the atmosphere remains suitably creepy throughout.
Runs until 2 March 2024