It Walks Around the House at Night | Southwark Playhouse

It Walks Around the House at Night has just begun haunting Southwark Playhouse Borough’s Large space and it is a thrilling, heart racing 90 minutes of modern horror theatre that gets its audiences laughing one moment and clinging to their seats the next.

Entering the space, audiences are lured into feelings of trepidation through the ambient sound design (courtesy of work by Pete Malkin and Kieran Lucas). This sound continues to haunt, intimidate and surprise the audience throughout the pieces entirety.

The production’s suspense is crafted with impressive thoughtfulness by writer Tim Folley. Lots of tension and terror is provided for the audience through its lighting design by Joshua Pharo, which plays a crucial role in tightening the tension throughout the piece. Impeccable lighting was also accompanied by his subtle and effective video design, projected on the simple yet striking set by Neil Bettles and Tom Robbins, providing the show with its dynamics. Alongside this, several inventive technical choices enrich the physicality of the show, turning the stage into a dynamic and visually striking storytelling space. This show is truly a production team spectacle.

The script moves at a rapid pace, cleverly balancing contemporary humour with escalating dread. Just as the audience begins to relax into laughter, the show swiftly pulls them back into nerve building suspense. Unfortunately, a handful of the jump scares occasionally land with slightly less impact, on behalf of revelations and the way a key twist is explained. Yet the audience reaction still speaks volumes, with plenty of gasps and screams emerging through the theatre.

Joe's role as an unreliable narrator is a particularly smart device, elaborating on both the mystery and the mounting tension. Though the character sometimes exhibits some unlikeable traits, George Naylor’s gripping performance makes him impossible not to root for. Carrying a 90-minute horror story alone is no small feat, yet Naylor rises to the challenge with charisma, control, and an engaging rapport with the audience.

The show’s LGBTQ+ roots and characters also give the piece a warmly distinctive identity - meta-theatrical horror is absolutely not new but this gives It Walks Around the House at Night its distinctive edge, fitting itself nicely into a niche sub-genre.

Another standout element is the physical storytelling. Oliver Baines movement work is stunning, shifting seamlessly between terrifying and strangely comforting in their dual roles, adding an extra layer of texture to the performance. Whilst he displayed haunting work that will linger with the audience for much time to come, he also provided light and comfort - a truly wonderful performance.

Under clear and confident direction of Bettles, the show delivers an effective rush of theatrical terror that proves both inventive and entertaining. This piece is truly a chilling trip around the house that largely hits its mark and will hopefully open the door for more work in this essence from ThickSkin.

It Walks Around the House at Night plays at Southwark Playhouse until 28th March - tickets and more information can be found here.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan