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.