The BBC's cherished tradition of the Ghost Story for Christmas returns this year with a chilling new adaptation from master of the macabre, Mark Gatiss. This year's half-hour offering, The Room in the Tower, features a perfectly understated performance from Tobias Menzies and is based on a 1912 tale by E.F. Benson, best known for the Mapp & Lucia novels.
A Tradition of Yuletide Dread
Since its informal beginnings in 1968, the BBC's festive ghost story has become an annual event for many viewers. Curated and often adapted by Gatiss in recent years, the series typically resurrects a spooky short story from the Victorian or Edwardian era. While earlier reboots heavily featured M.R. James, recent years have seen tales from Arthur Conan Doyle and E. Nesbit. This year, it is the turn of Benson and his prolific catalogue of 'spook stories'.
The Nightmare Unfolds
The drama opens during a Second World War air raid, where Roger Winstanley (Tobias Menzies) shelters in a tube station with a stranger, Verity (Nancy Carroll). Their conversation turns to dreams, prompting Roger to recount a recurrent nightmare that has haunted him since school. He describes arriving at a friend's house, being greeted by the stern, black-gowned Mrs. Julia Stone (Joanna Lumley), and being told, "Jack will show you to your room. I've given you the room in the tower." The dream always ends in terror before he discovers what awaits him there.
As an adult, the dream evolves and Roger finds himself invited to a tennis match by his jovial friend John Clinton (Ben Mansfield). To his horror, they arrive at the very house from his nightmares. Initially relieved by the cheerful family on the lawn, his dread returns when the matriarch (Polly Walker) delivers the fateful line: "Jack will show you to your room." The room, of course, is in the tower.
A Shift into Horror Territory
Gatiss's adaptation faithfully brings Benson's original twist to the screen, adding his own turn of the screw for a chilling conclusion. The production masterfully builds an atmosphere of whispered dread, anchored by Menzies's compellingly restrained performance. However, viewers should note that this year's story verges more on psychological horror than a traditional ghostly yarn. The BBC advises that the content may be too intense for younger family members expecting gentle festive fare.
Ultimately, The Room in the Tower is another successful entry in Gatiss's revival of the Christmas ghost story. Like a welcome, if slightly unsettling, guest at the seasonal table, it provides a deliciously spooky half-hour distraction. The Room in the Tower: A Ghost Story for Christmas aired on BBC One and is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
