It Walks Around The House At Night continues to tour the UK as part of the 2026 tour. The story follows an unemployed actor who takes on a job of playing a ghost in a manor. But as the night rolls on, the role starts to merge with reality and nothing is quite what it seems. After watching the production last week at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds (review here), we got the opportunity to learn more about the creative side of the show.
Creative Team Questions:
1: What inspired you to create It Walks Around At Night?
Having worked with Tim Foley on another play I was keen to explore a genre that was a passion of his. Horror and Sci-fi. I also wanted to make something that pushed me creatively and allowed us to use all of the theatrical techniques at our disposal. The horror genre is particularly difficult on stage and I found the challenge really exciting. I was also excited by the underlying political story in the play of the rich bleeding the life out of the poor and the exploitation of artists in the entertainment industry so the combination of high theatricality with a genuinely good story was the draw for me.
2: How does the production effectively tell this chilling story? What type of effects are used?
The play is a direct address monologue told by one actor. At times he is with us in the theatre telling his story and at other times he is reliving the events that happened to him. This allows us to bend reality in a way that feels exciting. The set is simple but allows us to create a world where we can be inside the lodge on the country estate and also outside in the grounds and woods that surround the mansion. The use of lighting and sound and video projection help us to create the visual world and the tension needed to provide the chills. We never know if Joe is fully alone. We have some tradition jump scares that creep up on us and some more inventive moments like the nightmares that Joe has at night. In one nightmare the fridge in the lodge opens on its own and something inside creeps out and under his bed. So, we play on our own fears as well as building a sense of unease for the character experiencing it. Above all we are using good old fashioned theatre techniques, haze and shadows and immersive sound design.
3: What has been the most memorable moment from rehearsals?
We spent a lot of time in the dark and we got very used to the mechanics of the show. Perfecting the timing of some of the more tense moments was a joyful process. The best moments are when other ThickSkin team members come in to watch sections of the show and they react in the way we want them to. When they jump it means we have done our job well.
Cast Questions:
4: What sparked you to play this role?
At first, it was Tim, I’ve worked on a few of his scripts in the past in the Doctor Who world so knew his writing and I’d just finished working on a one man play and a horror play before that, so knew I could handle a story of this nature and scale and was so excited about the idea of one being centred around a gay working class character.
5: Joe is a desperate out-of-work character at the beginning of the play. How does the story transform him?
I think Joes entire journey in the play is a reflection of how he’s made it to this moment and in many ways, he has achieved something he may have always wanted to achieve, building a play and being a working actor. But it’s at a cost and certainly not for the reasons or in the circumstances he could have ever imagined. I think in many ways he still is desperate, but the story has transformed him into something less innocent and more active.
It Walks Around The House At Night continues to tour the UK. Many thanks to the cast and creatives for answering our questions. Book your tickets here!
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