The House by the Lake

1956 British stage thriller by Hugh Mills

The House by the Lake is a 1956 British stage thriller in three acts, by Hugh Mills.[1] The main characters are Maurice and Stella, a brother and sister who plot to murder their unlikeable brother, Colin.[2] The other characters include Maurice's wife, Janet, Colin's long-suffering wife, Iris, and Colonel Forbes, a neighbour.[3]

It premiered in London's West End, where it ran for two years, starring Flora Robson and Andrew Cruickshank;[4][5] and has since become a staple of amateur dramatics.[6]

Original production

The play, directed by John Fernald, opened at the Duke of York's Theatre on 9 May 1956, with the following cast:

  • Brenda - Doreen Morton
  • Colin - Paul Lee
  • Colonel Forbes - Andrew Laurence
  • Colonel Forbes - Frank Royde
  • Iris - Sylvia Coleridge
  • Janet Holt - Flora Robson
  • Maurice Holt - Andrew Cruickshank
  • Mr Howard - Alan McNaughtan
  • Mr. Howard - Richard Warner
  • Nurse Thomson - Annette Kerr
  • Stella - Jenny Laird

The production was designed by Fanny Taylor.

References

  1. ^ Hesse, Beatrix (2 August 2015). The English Crime Play in the Twentieth Century. Springer. ISBN 9781137463043 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Lawson, Mark (31 March 2006). "Mark Lawson on Look Back in Anger". the Guardian.
  3. ^ "doollee.com - the playwrights database of modern plays". www.doollee.com.
  4. ^ "Production of The House by The Lake - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  5. ^ "Google Groups". groups.google.com.
  6. ^ "Auditions: The House by the Lake, A thriller by Hugh Mills". Eventfinda.


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