‘The Haunting of Hill House’ Is Coming to the Stage — Here’s What Fans of the Netflix Hit Need to Know
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If The Haunting of Hill House kept you up at night when it dropped on Netflix, you’re going to want to pay attention. The story that introduced millions of streaming viewers to the Crain family and their terrifying home is getting a brand-new life — this time, on stage.
Shirley Jackson’s classic horror novel The Haunting of Hill House is being adapted for a U.K. theatrical tour launching this fall, per Variety. And if you’re already wondering what that means for fans who fell in love with Victoria Pedretti, Carla Gugino, and the rest of that unforgettable cast, read on — because this is shaping up to be one of the buzziest horror events of the year.
From Your Screen to the Stage
The Netflix series premiered on October 12, 2018, and quickly became one of the most talked-about horror shows in the streaming era. It featured a stacked ensemble cast: Michiel Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel and Victoria Pedretti as the Crain siblings in adulthood, with Carla Gugino and Henry Thomas portraying parents Olivia and Hugh Crain. Timothy Hutton also appeared as an older version of Hugh.
Now, the source material behind that beloved series is making the leap to live theater. The stage adaptation is written by Olivier and BAFTA award-winner Stef Smith and will be directed by Martin Constantine.
What’s the Story About?
For those who binged the Netflix series but haven’t cracked open Jackson’s book, here’s the setup. The story follows Hugh and Olivia Crain and their five children as they move into Hill House. The Crains arrive hoping to fix it up and sell it, but things don’t go exactly as planned. They are stuck there longer than expected, and the family is subjected to the hauntings.
If you remember the gut-punch emotional beats from the show — the grief, the fractured sibling relationships, the terrifying things lurking in the dark — that all traces back to Jackson’s novel. The stage version promises to dig into those same raw, human themes alongside the supernatural scares.
Smith, the playwright, isn’t holding back her enthusiasm for the source material. She described adapting Jackson’s work as “a true privilege,” calling it “one of the greatest supernatural novels of the last one hundred years.”
“I find Shirley Jackson’s world intoxicating, thrilling and gut-wrenching,” Smith said, per Variety. “I believe there is something so deeply theatrical at the heart of Hill House. From the spooky, to the surreal, through heartache and hope. I hope that our cast of characters will take the audience along for a ride quite unlike anything else. Above all we will examine that the biggest horrors are usually human.”
That last line — “the biggest horrors are usually human” — should resonate deeply with anyone who watched the Netflix series. The show’s greatest strength was never just the jump scares or the hidden ghosts tucked into background shots. It was the way it explored how trauma, loss, and family dysfunction can haunt people just as powerfully as any ghost. Smith’s words suggest the stage version aims to hit those same emotional notes.
Jackson’s son, Laurence J. Hyman, also expressed his excitement about the production.
“From film and television to the stage, my mother Shirley Jackson’s legacy continues to endure through her iconic novel ‘The Haunting of Hill House,’” Hyman said. “I’m thrilled that this haunting classic will return in a new form, and that Stef Smith’s adaptation will capture the novel’s remarkable and unsettling spirit for audiences in a whole new way.”
Where and When Can You See It?
The production launches Sept. 11 at Salisbury Playhouse, running through Oct. 3 before transferring to Richmond Theatre Oct. 6-10. From there, the tour continues across several U.K. venues:
Theatr Clwyd — Oct. 13-17 Theatre Royal Brighton — Oct. 20-24 Palace Theatre Manchester — Oct. 27-31 Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse — Nov. 3-7 Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh — Nov. 10-14
