Timothy Spall, Matthew Macfadyen and Juliet Stevenson lead cast of new drama

Sky Living has commissioned a new three-part supernatural drama, The Enfield Haunting – an adaptation of Guy Lyon Playfair’s book “This House is Haunted” about the terrifying and bizarre real events that took place at an ordinary house in Enfield during the autumn of 1977.

The drama is based upon real events surrounding the phenomena, and draws on extensive documentation, recordings and witness statements. The incident remains to this day the most documented account of poltergeist activity in British history.

British actor Timothy Spall (The Syndicate), will play Maurice Grosse, a rookie paranormal researcher. After a recent personal tragedy, he is drawn to the house on Green Street after disturbing reports of a desperate family terrorised by malevolent unseen forces. Juliet Stevenson CBE (The Village) will star as his wife Betty.

Award-winning actor Matthew Macfadyen (Ripper Street) will play Guy Lyon Playfair, an experienced investigator who approaches the case with scepticism. Working together to get to the heart of the supernatural happenings, Maurice and Guy will both have to confront their own pasts.  Can they save this family from the hauntings and make peace with their own ghosts?

Timothy Spall commented: “I am very pleased to be taking part in The Enfield Haunting.  Not only is it based on a supernatural happening, it is also a brilliant script that is full of emotional texture and develops beautifully into a human story.  I am very much looking forward to working with the excellent team Sky Living and Eleven Film have assembled.”

Matthew Macfadyen said: “I’m very pleased and excited to be a part of this strange, unsettling and really quite moving story – and especially pleased to be working again with the brilliant Tim Spall.”

Jamie Campbell, Executive Producer, Eleven Film added: “Bringing this terrifying and rich story to a drama audience for the first time, with access to the exhaustive source material, has been truly exciting. We have a stellar team, and a great dramatic conundrum: what on earth was behind the many strange and other-worldly incidents that took place in Enfield in the late 1970s? One thing’s clear: anyone who thinks that we live in a world unaffected by the supernatural should watch this series and reconsider.”

Kristoffer Nicola (The Killing) will direct from screenplays by Joshua St Johnston (Sweeney Todd).

The Enfield Haunting will begin principal photography in London this autumn for transmission on Sky Living in Spring 2015.