It’s our fourth annual Ghost Stories for Christmas evening at the Star & Shadow, part of our TV on the Big Screen series. Join us for three more spine-chilling tales from the BBC archive that we’ve never screened before, plus the return of one classic favourite.
We’ll also have a live reading by our volunteers of The Room in the Tower by E. F. Benson, which is the BBC’s story for this year, adapted by Mark Gatis. It’s the story of a man haunted by a recurring nightmare of being invited to stay in a sinister house, only to discover that the dream, and the terrifying fate awaiting him in the tower room, has come true.
We then delve into our classic BBC Ghost Stories adaptations:
Lost Hearts
The Signalman
Number 13
Woman of Stone
We begin with Lost Hearts, where young orphan Stephen arrives at his cousin Mr. Abney’s grand home and soon sees ghostly children with hollow wounds over their hearts, revealing his host’s dark quest for immortality.
Next is The Signalman, where a lonely railway worker is haunted by ghostly warnings of impending disaster, each one foretelling another tragic accident on the line, and his own inescapable fate.
Continuing with Number 13, where a scholar researching old manuscripts in a Danish inn discovers that the building’s mysterious missing room appears and disappears at night, bringing with it unsettling noises, shifting shadows, and something sinister behind its door.
We end with last year’s story, Woman of Stone, based on Edith Nesbit’s Man-Size in Marble, a chilling tale of newlyweds whose happiness is overshadowed by the superstitious warnings of their housekeeper.
As ever with TV on the Big Screen, our screenings will be followed by an informal discussion and Q&A, so bring your questions and be ready for a spooky conversation. Dressing up as your favourite Christmas ghoul is encouraged, but not essential!
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