Last Updated on July 11, 2026
Catherine Tate and David Threlfall Illuminate the Supernatural Tales of Enfield
Having adeptly avoided the realms of horror and supernatural tales for the majority of my existence, I found myself perched on the fringes of fright. While my peers eagerly immersed themselves in the spine-chilling allure of William Friedkin’s cinematic adaptation of The Exorcist, I remained an outlier, steering clear of the blockbuster’s ominous grip. When offered the chance to attend The Enfield Haunting at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End – a play based on real events, adapted into a Sky series with Timothy Spall recently featured in an Apple TV documentary – my initial reservations took centre stage. But hey, who doesn’t want to see Catherine Tate and David Threlfall on the West End stage?
The Enfield Haunting delves into the tale of the Hodgson family, unwittingly thrust into the heart of a supernatural maelstrom in the summer of 1977. Living an ordinary life in a North London council house, the Hodgson’s world unravels as furniture and toys come to life, marking the onset of one of the most renowned poltergeist incidents in history. Sixteen-year-old Janet possessed and perilously close to being pulled out of a window, becomes the focal point of inexplicable phenomena. Paul Unwin’s play captures a pivotal night in the spring of 1978, drawing from first-hand accounts of Maurice Grosse, one of the ghost hunters determined to assist the Hodgsons.
Against an escalating backdrop of growling tapes and spectral encounters, the play’s narrative unfolds the chilling tale of Peggy Hodgson’s desperate attempts to shield her children from an incomprehensible and alarming force.
Lee Newby’s set provided an effective cut-away cross-section, featuring the downstairs living space and bedroom above, which typified a working-class council property in the 70s, giving a suitably down-at-heel atmosphere to the proceedings. Mood-evoking lighting came from Neil Austin and Carolyn Downing was responsible for the spooky sound design. Retro music set the scene before the curtain went up, and Dusty Springfield’s ‘I Only Want to Be With You’ served as a family anthem.
Unfortunately, The Enfield Haunting falls flat despite a bravura lead performance by Catherine Tate as the mother of a family engulfed in a poltergeist-induced trauma. Director Angus Jackson’s production features blackouts, eerie noises, and flickering lights, but without a convincing dramatic curve, and with horror elements that are simply not scary enough, the drama lacks momentum with several moments where the piece’s energy dissipates into an uncomfortable silence.
The benchmark for poltergeist theatre entertainment must be “The Woman in Black,” a stage play from 1987 by Stephen Mallatratt, adapted from Susan Hill’s 1983 book, which Premiered in London’s West End in 1987, it ran until March 4, 2023, becoming the second longest-running non-musical play in West End history, after The Mousetrap. But whilst the actors try their best in The Enfield Haunting, the direction and script simply didn’t deliver the necessary thrills to offer the successful stage show any competition.
David Threlfall cuts a forlorn Reginald Maudling-type figure as the assistant ghostbuster Maurice Grosse in a performance that promises to offer something much darker but never quite crosses the threshold. Catherine Tate gives us a 1970s ‘Mother Courage’, burdened by the realities of class, single parenthood, an absent abusive husband and two teenage daughters who had opened a portal to a poltergeist in the house. She teeters convincingly on the edge of a complete meltdown, desperate to cling onto her haunted home which had provided the only reliable security in her life.
Playing the bluff and annoying neighbour Rey, Mo Sesay is convincing, and the three children did very well – Ella Schrey-Yeats was compelling as the possessed Janet, Grace Molony as her sister Grace had a suitably sassy teenage edge, and the believable young Jimmy, on the night of our visit was played by Noah Leggott. In the end, despite the brevity of its 75-minute runtime, the show failed to evoke the anticipated fear, leaving this lightweight spectator wanting a more spine-chilling experience.
Ambassadors Theatre, London West Street, London WC2H 9ND
Performance Dates Until Saturday 2 March 2024
Performance Times Mondays – Saturdays at 7.30pm Thursday & Saturday matinees at 2.30pm
Tickets -Tickets from £25
Box Office: 0333 009 6690
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-enfield-haunting/ambassadors-theatre/
Suitable for ages 12+
Looking for something different? Check our roundup of National Theatre productions for Winter/Spring 2024
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