BBC Radio 4, December 17, 2018

An engraving of a house seems totally innocuous – unless you can see the figure…

Neil Brand’s adaptations of M R James’ short stories gets off to a cracking start with this creepy tale – if you’ve not understood why so many horror writers and fans rate James so highly, then this is a strong entry point. James works from the credo that less is more and Brand has followed suit in this adaptation, which uses the author’s original dialogue and expands where necessary – as well as adding an introductory scene. There’s a little bit of gender swapping to provide a female voice in the story, which very slightly alters the dynamic of James’ original, but not in a negative way.

Director David Hunter allows the story to envelop the listener, never hurrying it, with Mark Gatiss suitably sepulchral as the narrator (credited as James himself), and strong performances from all the cast.

Verdict: A suitably haunting tale to start this series of 15 Minute Drama adaptations. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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