The House by the Lake explained

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.

Notes and References

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