Private Project

Playhouse

In a remote Scottish castle, a notorious horror writer faces terrifying consequences when his daughter falls prey to an evil curse lurking with the walls.

  • Toby Watts
    Director
  • Fionn Watts
    Director
  • Toby Watts
    Writer
  • Toby Watts
    Producer
  • Fionn Watts
    Producer
  • William J. Holstead
    Key Cast
    "Jack Travis"
    Christmas Presence
  • Grace Courtney
    Key Cast
    "Beleth Travis"
  • James Rottger
    Key Cast
    "Callum"
    Our Ladies
  • Helen Mackay
    Key Cast
    "Jenny"
  • Rebecca Calienda
    Key Cast
    "Kathryn"
    Dead Unicorns, Criminal Audition
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Supernatural Thriller, Horror
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 26 minutes 56 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 21, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Devilworks
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Toby Watts, Fionn Watts

Toby and Fionn started making films when they were teenagers growing up in the far north east of Scotland. Since then, Toby has interned with a documentary production Company in New Delhi, India, and has travelled across the globe filming documentaries and promotional content for charities and artists, including shooting world renowned musician Jason Carter’s award-winning documentary, Grain of Sand (2017). Fionn won the award for ‘Best Behind The Scenes Documentary’ at the Hollywood 168 Festival, 2009, for his film, The Making of 'Unscripted'. Most recently the Watts brothers have written, directed and produced a number of short fiction films and PLAYHOUSE is their debut feature film.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

PLAYHOUSE is a bold supernatural thriller/horror about an irreverent artist suffering the dark consequences of pushing his family relationships and personal sanity to the limits in pursuit of his reckless ambition.

This production brings together our love of the north of Scotland and its chilling folklore with our unusual upbringing surrounded by eccentric artists at a rustic coastal castle. The gripping, original screenplay, written by Toby Watts, weaves together an exciting tale infused with local historic references and wintry Caithness atmosphere.

Inspired very much by high concept horror movies from the 70s and 80s, as well as some early gothic films, PLAYHOUSE is our homage to the films we grew up watching. The story centres on a charismatic playwright whose playground is a haunting and atmosphere castle; one that ultimately proves home to forces well beyond his irreverent imagination. With PLAYHOUSE we've sought to put the far north east of Scotland on the map of Scottish cinema - a land untouched by the silver screen for several generations.

We set out to make PLAYHOUSE a film that felt genuinely Scottish and carefully avoided emulating the tropes and tone of so many bleak, social realist, rural Scotland-set films we've seen. Instead we made PLAYHOUSE an intelligent, gothic-inspired thriller-horror movie that truly excites audiences, takes them to the edge of fear and suspense, and finally leaves them feeling thrilled and entertained.