Just in time for Halloween, Kentucky Shakespeare is bringing a chilling theatrical experience to Old Louisville with the U.S. premiere of Hugh Janes’ The Haunting, running September 30 through October 25 at Kentucky Shakespeare’s headquarters.
Inspired by the ghost stories of Charles Dickens, The Haunting combines the atmosphere of a classic Victorian ghost story with mystery, suspense and supernatural terror. The play enjoyed a successful tour in the United Kingdom, and Kentucky Shakespeare will become the first U.S. theatre company to stage the production.
Rather than taking place on Kentucky Shakespeare’s familiar outdoor stage in Central Park, the production will unfold inside the company’s headquarters at 616 Myrtle Street in historic Old Louisville — a fitting setting for an eerie tale during the Halloween season.
A Victorian Mystery Comes to Life
The Haunting follows David Filde, who is hired to catalogue the extensive library of an old, deteriorating mansion. What begins as a seemingly straightforward assignment takes a disturbing turn when Filde encounters a series of strange and increasingly unexplained events.
Faced with a skeptical employer, Filde must find a way to prove that what he is experiencing is real. The two men eventually find themselves drawn deeper into the mansion’s mysteries as they search for the source of its terrifying supernatural visitations.
Kentucky Shakespeare Producing Artistic Director Matt Wallace directs the production, which features veteran company actors Zachary Burrell and Jon Huffman.
The creative team includes lighting designer Jesse AlFord, scenic designer Karl Anderson, sound designer Laura Ellis, costume designer Donna Lawrence-Downs and properties designer Sam Powers. Joy Lanceta Coronel serves as dialect coach, with Emily Kober as production stage manager, Rachel Meadors as assistant stage manager and Lindsay Krupski as lighting supervisor.
Several members of the design team — AlFord, Anderson, Ellis and Lawrence-Downs — previously received Arts-Louisville Theatre Awards for their work on Kentucky Shakespeare’s 2022 production of Enter Ghost: An Immersive Haunted Hamlet Experience.
The Haunting Performance Details
Performances run September 30 through October 25, with shows at 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. matinees Saturdays and Sundays. There will be no matinee performances during the first weekend of October because of the St. James Court Art Show.
Tickets are $30, and the production runs approximately two hours, including one intermission.
During checkout, ticket buyers can also make a donation to Kentucky Shakespeare. Donations of $20 or more will receive a commemorative The Haunting T-shirt at the performance, with one shirt provided for each $20 donation.
WHAT: The Haunting by Hugh Janes
WHEN: September 30–October 25, 2026
WHERE: Kentucky Shakespeare Headquarters, 616 Myrtle Street, Louisville, KY 40208
SHOWTIMES: 7 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday–Sunday
TICKETS: $30
RUNTIME: Approximately two hours with intermission
For tickets and additional information, visit Kentucky Shakespeare’s website.
