SUSAN HILL’S GHOST STORY

CHANNEL 5, BOXING DAY, 9PM

We like watching a spooky story

Neve McIntosh says it’s the most wonderful time of year – for a spooky story.

As the TV schedules testify, we love nothing more than a creepy Christmas.

And the former Doctor Who and Shetland star’s contribution to the frightening festive season is to play a restless spirit in Channel 5’s big Boxing Day drama, Susan Hill’s Ghost Story.

“I think with the dark nights there’s a lot more spookiness around,” said Neve, who played Madame Vastra in Doctor Who. “Maybe it’s something we reflect back to nature.

“It starts with Halloween and all the bonfires. I think maybe because we’re so nice and cosy sitting indoors and all the nastiness is outside, it’s comforting in a way as well.

“I think we like lighting candles and watching a nice, spooky story.

“There’s a psychology in Ghost Story, a darkness inside and out, and I think we enjoy that.”

Ghost Story is the first adaptation of a Susan Hill novel since The Woman In Black was made into a blockbuster movie starring Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe in 2012.

The story is set in Scotland and stars Douglas Henshall as Adam Snow, an antique book dealer who finds himself haunted by the ghost of a young boy when he buys an old house.

As he investigates the strange occurrences, he is plagued by nightmares as he receives increasingly sinister visits from the ghost, ultimately revealing a haunting secret from his own childhood.

“We filmed a lot of it in Bannockburn House, which I didn’t even know existed,” admitted Paisley-born Neve, who moved to Edinburgh when she was eight.

“It had tunnels and flagstone floors and was quite eerie, so it was a great place to film. You could really feel it.

“I play Denisa, who was once the lady of the house and created this beautiful garden in the grounds.

“She had a son who died tragically, and then she also died, and they can’t be at rest, their spirits bound to this house for all time.

As Dougie’s character unravels the story, it’s a mirror to some of the stuff he’s also going through.”

While Susan Hill wasn’t on set, her writing partner, Barbara Machin, was there. “It was lovely to have Barbara around because she knows the story intimately, and we did receive nice messages passed on from Susan,” Neve continued.

“For the garden scenes, we filmed out near Greenock. We were hoping for a bright sunny day but of course it was lashing down. Yet when we were filming in Bannockburn House we had to put big tabs up on the windows because it was supposed to be night-time but it was glorious sunshine outside. It’s always the way!”

She added: “I hope everyone enjoys Ghost Story. It’s nice to have a real psychological, spooky tale on Boxing Day.

“I grew up in Edinburgh, where there is a folklore of ghosts being everywhere.

“We do have that history in Scotland, which I think suits us.

“Hopefully the film will touch people in the right way and I’m look forward to seeing the reaction.”