“This isn’t the homecoming I was expecting…”

It’s been 40 years since Dark Shadows made its debut on US television screens, catching the imagination of a generation from the very beginning. Now the series is back on audio, ready to haunt audiences again with a host of familiar personalities reprising their roles for a series of four CDs.

“This is a continuation,” enthuses actress Kathryn Leigh Scott. “New material, new stories, same darn old people,” she smiles. “I’m really enjoying it!” She’s not the only one. Whilst Kathryn and fellow actors David Selby, Lara Parker and John Karlen regularly reunite at fan gatherings and conventions, this is a rare opportunity to perform with one another in studio, revisiting their beloved characters. This opening installment, The House of Despair reintroduces the characters to both the actors and audience alike after a gap of nearly 35 years.

“It feels like the beginning of a story,” declares story editor Darren Gross. “By having Quentin return home, it allows us to enrich the characters with back-story they didn’t have before, giving us a nice focus for the first release.”

As you may have already guessed, The House of Despair deals with Quentin’s unexpected return to Collinsport – and, more specifically, an abandoned Collinwood – years after the climax of the original series. So why has it taken so long for Quentin to return to town? And what effect does his family’s disappearance have on him?
“A home without people is not a home,” muses actor David Selby, “and despite all of Quentin’s torments and anguishes about family, he is still very protective of the Collins name.” Does the story signal a new direction for the one-time black sheep? “Quentin’s been traveling the world, and he’s trying to make up for his squandered life,” offers David. So is Quentin now a fully reformed character? David chuckles at the idea: “No, Quentin will always be a bit of a rogue!”

This is one situation Quentin is unable to face alone, however. Not only does he need to reclaim the ruined Collinwood from the clutches of powerful forces, but he also needs to learn the true fate of his missing family. And only Willie Loomis, the family’s troubled caretaker, seems either able or willing to help him.

“There is a separation between servant and master,” notes John Karlen, discussing Willie and Quentin’s tumultuous relationship. “There’s a friendship there, and it has an aloofness to it, but Willie seems to know how to handle Quentin pretty well by this point.”

Of course, having been denied the protection of the Collins family since their mysterious disappearance, the Willie we meet here is now a broken man, trying to forget his ordeals. What then does John make of this latest interpretation of the character? “Willie’s at his best in these scripts,” insists John excitedly. “This version of Willie seems to fit him best of all. He goes through pain and torture, but he also has a bit of gusto in him now and then.” And has the brisk recording schedule informed his performance in any way? “The quicker the pace we record, the less time there is to think and do,” he beams. “Willie’s always a little frenetic and on-edge anyway, so pace is good for him. And I hate to admit it, but it’s a lot of fun to be doing this!”

The fun doesn’t seem set to last long, however. For no sooner has Quentin tracked down Willie Loomis than he’s forces to seek less conventional assistance from an unreliable ally. And not everybody is pleased by this new arrival.

“Angelique is a terror,” jokes John. “She’s a frightening force. Willie truly fears her because he knows that she’s part of the darker side of life, and she demonstrates no hint of favour towards him. He’ll stand up to her to a point, yes, but he always knows that she has the power and he doesn’t.”

Actress and novelist Lara Parker has her own theories regarding Angelique’s latest rebirth: “She’s useful to have around,” she reveals. “Quentin decides to restore her to life to assist him. It’s a somewhat combative relationship. He’s also supernatural, of course, so it’s kinda tongue-in-cheek and teasing… and a little flirtatious!”

So is Willie right to fear her? “Well sadly, much as I love Johnny Karlen, Angelique is very snobby when it comes to other servants,” Lara sighs. “She’s contemptuous of him and puts him down a lot. She doesn’t like not getting her way, and so she can be very bitchy.”

New beginnings aside, long-term fans will find lots of little touches to enjoy in this tale, even if the characters have been forced to move on in the intervening years. The opening scenes, in particular, bear more than a passing similarity to Victoria Winters’ own debut back in 1966. “It’s a nice parallel for people who have seen the previous series,” confesses story editor Darren Gross. Was there ever the temptation to include masses of continuity in these stories? Apparently not.

“You could make a scroll of things that had to be mentioned in the first story,” suggests writer and producer Stuart Manning. “When I got over my own nerves and actually went ahead and wrote that first script, I realised just how much of that stuff actually falls away on its own. Yes, continuity pops up throughout the CDs, but never at the expense of the drama.”

“We want them to exist as dramatic stories,” Darren concurs. “If you know exactly how each character will react to everybody else and all their back-stories, it robs the scenes of drama. You'll discover who these people are as you go along. Plus, we have new characters who give us a whole new ways to explore how the people of Collinsport interact with the Collins family.”

Amongst the new set of recurring characters are husband-and-wife team Ed and Susan Griffin, who make their debut in The House of Despair as owners of the Blue Whale bar, which remains the hub of activity in Collinsport.

“If you’re going to have new characters and bed them in, they’ve got to be in a place where people will have reason to visit them,’ explains Stuart knowingly, “It’s actually a very soapy logic, but it works!” Gross readily agrees: “For the most part, the Collins family are recluses, so if we didn’t have Maggie they’d really have no reason to go into town at all!”

Ah yes, Maggie. And how has she been coping since returning from the asylum? “There’s probably a little bit of bitterness in there,” hints actress Kathryn Leigh Scott. “Maggie now owns the diner in these episodes, so we’re dealing with somebody who’s a bit world-weary, somebody who speaks very directly and says exactly what she means. She’s not afraid to let Quentin know what the Collins family has done to the denizens of Collinsport either.”

The House of Despair sets up many mysteries that would be impossible to solve within the space of a single CD, and hints, clues and developments are peppered across the four stories. Rest assured though, that exciting times lie ahead for the residents of Collinsport over the coming months… whether they like it or not!

Vengeance draws near…

To read about the second CD, The Book of Temptation, click here.

With thanks to David Selby, Lara Parker, John Karlen, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Stuart Manning, Darren Gross and all at Big Finish Productions

The House of Despair is available now. To read more about the range of CDs, and to order online, click here.