The Haunting of Blaine Manor
From 7:30PM, Thursday, August 21, 2025 to 7:30PM, Saturday, August 23, 2025
Venue: Darlington Hippodrome
Written & Directed by Joe O'Byrne England, 1953. Renowned American parapsychologist Doctor Roy Earle, famous for discrediting hauntings and exposing fake mediums, is invited to attend a seance in Blaine Manor, said to be the most haunted building in England. However, Earle’s arrival awakes something horrific within the manor’s walls. As a raging storm closes them off from the outside world, Earle and his companions find that what is waiting within the manor is not nearly as horrific as what has entered with them. In the spirit of M R James, England’s most accomplished ghost story writer (Casting the Runes, Whistle and I’ll Come To You My Lad, The Haunted Doll’s House) and with a nod to the classic black and white film classics of Columbia Pictures, Metro Goldwyn Mayor, Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox. O’Byrne’s award winning production is a love letter to both the Golden Age of Hollywood and the Hammer Horror Era. An appreciation of the fabulous characters played by the likes of Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Bette Davis, Peter Lorre and more. It’s a thrilling haunted house chiller set in a manor with a twisted history of madness, witchcraft, tragedy and death, it’s the new The Woman in Black. Reviews: "A horror masterclass from one of our very best and busiest writers." The Salford Star "Shocking reveals and really fantastic character work from the cast, The Haunting of Blaine Manor feels plucked out of the old BBC Ghost Stories for Christmas and is highly recommended." Bloody-Flicks.co.uk "We should not be surprised that O’Byrne has a knack for the classic ghost story." The Manchester Theatre Awards "One of the best original ghost stories I've seen on stage in a long time. The atmosphere in the theatre was fantastic. Everything you'd expect from a strong piece of theatre rooted in Victorian gothic horror... a great piece of theatre." The Nantwich News "The Haunting of Blaine Manor served as a reminder why theatre is so important, particularly for genres like horror." The Theatre Talk Age 10+