The House on Cold Hill
Until March 26
The Mill at Sonning
0118 969 8000
THERE are spooky goings-on at the Mill at Sonning right now, for its latest production, The House on Cold Hill.
The stage of the Ray Cooney Auditorium has been creatively transformed into the interior of manor house, incorporating some ancient monastic ruins.
This is a ghost story, and the tension is created from the moment the lights go down as eerie music is combined with atmospheric lighting to set the scene.
The play follows the attempts of the Harcourt family to settle into their new home, at first unaware they are sharing it with an unwanted and unwelcoming former resident. They are increasingly alerted to the spirit’s presence through a series of unexplained events.
It’s edge-of-the seat stuff as the story of the house’s history unfolds.
Caro and Ollie (Madeleine Knight and Matt Milburn) present a picture of marital bliss, despite the challenges of bringing their ancient pile up-to-date with the help of the congenial builder Phil (Kevin Hand), while also contending with their eye-rolling teenage daughter, Jade (Hannah Boyce) and the bumbling local vicar (Harry Gostelow).
It’s a pleasure to see Debbie McGee on stage as the eccentric Annie.
Together with ‘techy geek’ Chris (Dan Buckley) they attempt to get to the bottom of the strange goings-on in the house.
The use of special effects is spell-binding and unnerving.
Rather than jump-scares, the audience is treated to many moments of spine-tingling cliff-hangers.
Was there a logical explanation in the end? Let’s just say we’ll never look at an Alexa in the same way again.
JUDITH CREIGHTON
