The House by the Lake

The House by the Lake is a 1956 British stage thriller in three acts, by Hugh Mills. The main characters are Maurice and Stella, a brother and sister who plot to murder their unlikeable brother, Colin. The other characters include Maurice's wife, Janet, Colin's long-suffering wife, Iris, and Colonel Forbes, a neighbour.

It premiered in London's West End, where it ran for two years, starring Flora Robson and Andrew Cruickshank; and has since become a staple of amateur dramatics.

Original production
The play, directed by John Fernald, opened at the Duke of York's Theatre on 9 May 1956, with the following cast:


 * Brenda - 	Doreen Morton
 * Colin - 	Paul Lee
 * Colonel Forbes - 	Andrew Laurence
 * Colonel Forbes - 	Frank Royde
 * Iris - 	Sylvia Coleridge
 * Janet Holt - 	Flora Robson
 * Maurice Holt - 	Andrew Cruickshank
 * Mr Howard - 	Alan McNaughtan
 * Mr. Howard - 	Richard Warner
 * Nurse Thomson - 	Annette Kerr
 * Stella	- Jenny Laird

The production was designed by Fanny Taylor.