Have you ever wondered what goes on inside Teatru Manoel when the lights go out and everyone heads home for the night? Do ghosts wander through the auditorium, or take a seat in the boxes? On Halloween night, The Haunting will bring ghost stories from the Manoel and beyond to the stage in a one-night-only theatrical horror experience that will have audiences jumping out of their seats. Written and directed by Stephen Oliver, The Haunting features true ghost stories from Malta's past, extracts from recognisable plays and poems, a stellar cast, and an impressive soundscape that travels all around the theatre.

When speaking to writer and director Stephen Oliver, he explained how he has always had a fascination with the horror genre and what makes us scared, particularly when it comes to ghosts or the unseen. "What is it that scares us - the fear of the unknown, those things that play on our brain when we desperately try to sleep? When Teatru Manoel approached me to direct a piece for Halloween, my starting point was the famous ghost in the theatre herself (yes she appears in the production). Malta is full of some very scary ghost stories and I wanted to do justice to as many of those as possible, the hard part was knowing which ones to leave out and which would work most effectively - dramatised for the stage." Oliver's main horror inspirations include the work of novelist Stephen King, and earlier this year he directed a stage adaptation of the King novel Misery, in a Masquerade production starring Isabel Warrington and Alan Paris. "Equally those early horror movies" he elaborated, "like The Omen, Halloween and of course The Exorcist - I'm old enough to remember seeing it when it was first released!"

Using these local ghost stories as a starting point Oliver was inspired to weave together a thrilling narrative that would bring the world of horror to the stage, something rarely done in Malta. Woven into these local narratives are extracts from well-known works by William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Walter De La Mere, Robert Graves and of course, Susan Hill (writer of the iconic horror stage play The Woman in Black, which ran on the West End for over 30 years). Kate Fenech Field, TOI TOI creative producer, describes the repertoire as "a blend of ghost stories and ghostly characters" which will bring fear to audiences "from a psychological perspective more than anything."

Alongside these narratives, the production features an innovative use of sound design and a surround sound system that works to heighten the level of surprise and suspense for the audience. The wrap-around sound system will have the production's sound design emitting from various sources, moving around and across the auditorium, as opposed to from a predictable singular source.

"All of the best horror movies are always made more terrifying when a soundtrack is added and this is certainly the case with The Haunting", explained Oliver. "Lots of sudden noise and creepy underscoring will fill the theatre via surround sound. Making things appear where you least expect them is another aspect of horror, together with a myriad of special effects. I think when directing horror, it's always about looking for those elements that will play tricks on an audience member's mind, having them worry about where the next fright is coming from. For the actors, the challenge is about the storytelling and setting the fear factor for the audience throughout."

"The major challenge of producing theatrical horror is maintaining apprehensive quiet moments to achieve a heightened response to the jump-out-of-your-seat moments" explained Fenech Field. "The wrap-around sound effects and spooky atmosphere will fill the Teatru Manoel auditorium, helping us lean into the dramatic peaks." The Haunting showcases an impressive local cast of actors, featuring performances from Victor Debono, Michael Mangion, Edward Thorpe, Isabel Warrington, Edward Caruana Galizia, and Cassandra Spiteri.

Stephen Oliver has a final word of warning for those who are unsure about attending The Haunting; "if you are not frightened by things suddenly appearing, by sudden noise, or darkness, you will sleep very well on Halloween."

Performances will take place on Halloween night, 31 October, with the first show starting at 7:30pm, and a later show for braver audiences at 10:30pm. Ticket prices range between €15 and €25, with discounts available for students and senior citizens. Children below the age of 11 will not be admitted into the theatre. Audiences can expect lots of darkness, an impressive soundscape, haunting narratives, and of course, a good few jump scares. For more information and to purchase tickets, audiences can visit teatrumanoel.com, call (+356) 21246389, or stop at the Teatru Manoel Box Office.