With Halloween creeping up on us as we head into the final week of October. It is the ideal time for the Theatres to let creatives take to the stage with a mixture of horror productions. The Hope Theatre in Highbury and Islington has the short story play The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs.

Josephine Rogers takes on the role of Jenny alongside Steven Maddocks playing John, her husband who works in the archives of the British Museum. He is left to find out the origin of a mummified baby which had been found buried in the Egyptian Queens tomb.

However, he discovers upon opening the mummified baby that a Monkey’s Paw has been buried inside. John pops the Paw into his coat and takes it home to show Jenny.

Their life as a newly married couple is one of poverty as the stage setting shows by the second-hand furniture and the abundance of laundry hung around which Jenny takes in to earn extra money.

However, the couple especially Jenny long to start a family. When John discovers the Paw to have magical powers this could be the end of their struggles! When Herbert finally arrives could this be the family Jenny always wanted or does the Paw prove to be a curse?

Rogers and Maddocks have a strong believable chemistry on stage throughout the storyline as they age and are hit by many misfortunes, not all of which are self-inflicted.

The storyline itself felt drawn out in some areas and shortening the play would be of benefit to the impact and intensity that the horror would have on the audience. The Hope and Anchor’s small stage is perfect for the play’s setting as you get a sense of how little space they lived in.

For more information about The Monkey’s Paw please use the link below.

Four Stars.

https://www.thehopetheatre.com/themonkeyspaw