3:30pm
Ever wondered why ghost stories became associated with Christmas? This special event combines a short talk by Gothic researcher Dr Emma Liggins on ‘Victorian ghost stories and Christmas traditions’ with a spine-chilling ghost story performance by award-winning writer and theatre-maker Adam Z. Robinson.
Emma’s talk, ‘Victorian ghost stories and Christmas traditions’, looks at the popularity of the ghost story for Victorian readers and ask why tales of haunting became associated with Christmas and winter in the nineteenth century. What did the haunted country house or graveyard have to do with the festive season? Stories such as Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’, Mary Braddon’s ‘At Chrighton Abbey’ and Charlotte Riddell’s ‘A Strange Christmas Game’ will all be discussed in relation to the development of the ghost story and of the traditions of the Victorian Christmas.
Adam Z. Robinson will perform his adaptions of Algernon Blackwood’s ‘The Kit Bag’ (1908) and Bram Stoker’s ‘The Judge’s House’ (1891) from his stage show Nightmares.
Dr Emma Liggins is Reader in English Literature in the Department of English at Manchester Metropolitan University and Co-Director of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies https://manchestergothic.mmu.ac.uk/ She is the author of The Haunted House in Women’s Ghost Stories, 1850-1945: Gender, Space and Modernity (2020).
Adam Z. Robinson has just finished touring his show Nightmares https://visitharrogate.co.uk/events/nightmares which includes the performance of 3 classic Victorian and Edwardian ghost stories: Algernon Blackwood’s ‘The Kit Bag’ (1908), E. Nesbit’s ‘John Charrington’s Wedding’ (1891) and Bram Stoker’s ‘The Judge’s House’ (1891) https://adamzrobinson.com/
Praise for Adam’s previous work:
“Everyone needs to see this show.” – ★★★★½ Reviews Hub on Upon the Stair
“‘Utterly gripping, mesmerising, beautiful, expressive and creepy. I’ve never seen anything like this before: don’t miss it.” – Jenn Ashworh, author of Ghosted, Fell and A Kind of Intimacy on Unhomely
“Scared out of my pants… an absolute delight” – Amber T, writer for Fangoria and Arrow Video on Haunted“A must-see production.” – Northern Soul ★★★★★ on Shivers
“Kept me enthralled from the very beginning… delightfully sinister fun.” – British Theatre Guide
on Shivers
“An unmissable evening of creepiness.” – Weekend Notes
Photo credit: Mark Bickerdike
Further Information
Age Restrictions & Content Advisory: The stories within Adam’s performance are classic ghost stories, however, there are references to horror related themes and to suicide. We advise that the performance is not suitable for under 14s. Individual parents / guardians know their children the best and are responsible for making the decision as to whether the event is suitable for each individual. All under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Tearoom
The tearoom will be open for the purchase of drinks and snacks before the performance and during the interval. It will close at the end of the interval.
The event is expected to finish by 6pm. There will be a 20 minute interval between Emma’s talk and Adam’s performance.
Comfort & Access
The route from the car parking area to the entrance is on an uneven incline. Please ensure that you are wearing comfortable shoes, suitable for walking on uneven, historic surfaces.
Access to the event is either via two flights of stone steps without a handrail or, alternatively, a single flight of narrower stones steps with a handrail. For more information, please refer to the Facilities and Access page on our website.
By booking tickets for our events you are helping the Hoghton Tower Preservation Trust (Registered Charity: 508357) preserve this beautiful historic building and its grounds so that generations to come can continue to enjoy this unique piece of Lancashire’s heritage. Thank you.
Refunds
All bookings are non-refundable and non-transferrable, please check the details carefully and ensure that you can commit to the date and time before you complete your booking as regrettably, we are unable to accommodate any changes once your booking is finalised.
If we have to cancel your booking for any reason, you will be offered a full refund or the opportunity to transfer your ticket to an alternative session (subject to availability).
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