The BBC has unwrapped its festive ghostly treat early, revealing the next instalment in Mark Gatiss’ beloved ‘Ghost Story for Christmas’ tradition. This year’s tale is ‘The Room in the Tower’, adapted from the E.F. Benson story, starring Tobias Menzies (The Crown; F1) and the legendary Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous; Motherland).
Set in the inter-war years, this is Gatiss’ eighth ghost story for Christmas on the BBC, following in the footsteps of ‘The Mezzotint’, ‘Count Magnus’, and ‘Lot No. 249’. The cast also features Nancy Carroll (The Crown; Father Brown), Ben Mansfield (Endeavour; Sister Boniface Mysteries) and Gatiss’ Bookish co-star Polly Walker (Bridgerton; Rome).
The story follows Roger Winstanley, who has been plagued for 15 years by a recurring nightmare: a sinister invitation to stay the night at a strange house, where an unseen terror waits in the shadows. The dream’s inhabitants seem to age in real time, and when Roger finally receives a real invitation to the dreaded “room in the tower”, the boundary between dream and reality begins to unravel in terrifying fashion.
Mark Gatiss, Writer and Director, says:
“I’ve always wanted to adapt the great E.F. Benson’s ghost stories and this is one of his chilling best. I’m also very grateful to have been able to continue the most Christmassy of Christmas traditions. The Room in the Tower has been prepared for you – and with Tobias Menzies and the legendary Dame Joanna Lumley to boot!”
Mark Bell, Commissioning Editor for BBC Arts, adds:
“Mark and the team have gathered a wonderful cast for this atmospheric treat where dream meets terrifying reality. ‘I have given you the room in the tower’ is a sentence nobody will want to hear once they have experienced this festive haunting…”
Filming took place earlier this year at Cobham Hall in Kent, giving the production its suitably eerie backdrop. The special is produced by Adorable Media for BBC Arts, with Isibeal Ballance as Producer and BBC Studios handling global sales.
A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Room in the Tower will premiere this December on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Login to Geektown