title: The House by the Lake
text: # 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.
  
  