A chilling and atmospheric gothic play, The Haunting of Blaine Manor delivers eerie thrills and standout performances at St Helens Theatre Royal, writes RACHAEL ELIZABETH
The Haunting of Blaine Manor
Writer: Joe O’Byrne
Theatre: St Helens Theatre Royal
Date: 18 October 2025
Cast: Peter Slater (Doctor Roy Earle), Andrew Yates (Cairo), Jo Haydock (Vivian Rutledge), Ed Barry (Vincent De Lambre), Jimmy Allen (Adolphus Scarabus), Joe O’Byrne (Grady)
It is that time of year — the month of ghosts, ghouls, and all things that go bump in the night — and what better way to start the spooky celebration than by watching a ghost story?
The Haunting of Blaine Manor, written by Joe O’Byrne, came to the small town of St Helens this October. As a lover of all things creepy, I had no choice but to purchase a ticket.
The decision was an easy one due to the amazing poster designs I saw circulating (created by Darren McGinn), so I was hopeful the play would not disappoint.
As curtain time approached, I looked around and saw the theatre was full — everyone sat in anticipation — and at 7:30pm, the red curtain lifted…
Backstory of The Haunting of Blaine Manor
Set in England in 1953, The Haunting of Blaine Manor unfolds within what is regarded as the most haunted building in the country.
Doctor Roy Earle, a renowned American parapsychologist, is invited to attend a séance at the manor — a place steeped in a horrifying history of death and curses.
Upon his arrival, Earle encounters a collection of anxious and intriguing guests, among them two self-professed psychic mediums. Tension quickly mounts, as Doctor Roy Earle is well known for debunking hauntings and exposing fraudulent psychics.
As a storm rages outside, the group are forced to hunker down for the night. Yet the manor has been stirred by Earle’s arrival, and what follows him into its cursed walls proves far darker than anything already dwelling there.
The Play: Act One
As the curtain lifts, we are greeted with a gothic-inspired drawing room: skulls, candles, leather chesterfields, and — to my dismay — a porcelain doll.
The smell of old leather and burning candles wafted into the audience, already prickling our senses.
The first act starts with the hollowing sound of an accident outside the manor, instantly letting the audience know things are not off to the best start.
Then we meet Doctor Roy Earle. We quickly learn of his disdain for the paranormal, especially when we hear of the tragic circumstances surrounding his wife, and his feelings towards the other guests and their ‘talents’.
Much of the first act lays the foundation of the story by introducing the characters and exploring the hold the manor exerts over those who enter it.
I found myself feeling the same as I did as a child when my friends would share ghost stories — except this time, I was watching it play out in real time.
Peter Slater (Doctor Roy Earle) created a palpable atmosphere of smugness and contempt that seemed to drip from his every word.
His portrayal of the hardened sceptic anchored the ensemble, providing a dramatic axis through which the other performers’ conviction in the paranormal gained greater intensity.
Cairo, the medium and mind reader played by Andrew Yates, is rendered with such eccentric precision that it is difficult to take your eyes off him.
His mannerisms, positioned at the opposite end of the spectrum from Doctor Roy Earle’s, create a perfectly contrasting energy that resonates throughout their interactions.
The rest of the cast were equally brilliant in their portrayals: Vivian Rutledge, at once mysterious and playful; Vincent De Lambre, flustered yet grounded; and Adolphus Scarabus, unconventional but authentic in his spiritual talents.
Then there is Grady — cold and somewhat unnerving. So unnerving, in fact, he is the only one to get under Doctor Roy Earle’s skin.
Act Two
The second act remains in the same drawing room, after the guests have consumed perhaps a bit too much alcohol.
The friction between the sceptic and mediums comes to a boiling point. The introduction of the ghost was well crafted into the story, and the reveal sent an audible murmur through the audience.
The rest of the act begins to snowball as Doctor Roy Earle, a somewhat recovering alcoholic, decides to begin drinking his weight in scotch.
Not only do the relationships begin to strain, but the unexpected claps of thunder that rippled through the speakers were more than sufficient to cause several jump scares — particularly for the woman seated in front of me, who left her seat by four foot.
This technique — a sudden, loud bang or shout — is highly effective at producing an immediate surge of fear.
After all, that is why we are there, is it not? To be frightened. To feel that jolt of terror.
My only quibble with the play lies in the overuse of these jump scares. After the first few, they became somewhat predictable.
A greater reliance on psychological tension might have also helped deepen the atmosphere.
Did something just move? Wasn’t the doll looking that way before?
Those subtle, creeping moments that unsettle the imagination allow the audience’s own minds to do the frightening.
The Ending
As the play reaches its crescendo, the steady build-up culminates in a satisfying and shocking conclusion.
The energy shift — all thanks to the brilliant performances from the cast — jerks the story into a new and disturbing direction.
The moment had many audience members turning to one another, mouths agape.
The sound and lighting design conjured hair-raising tension, fully immersing the audience in the characters’ experience as the manor — and more — reveals its sadistic secrets.
In Conclusion
As someone who has loved ghost stories since the moment I could form words, I was not disappointed.
The story itself feels as though it has been pulled straight from the gothic archives, and the cast’s portrayals breathe macabre life into a superb tale of the supernatural.
Combined with the set, sound, and lighting design, the play wraps its cold, dead fingers around your spine and anchors you to your seat.
If you have been considering seeing this play, I highly recommend that you do.
