WATCHING THE HOUSE

Watching the House was an interactive audio experience exploring the colonial and globalised history of Marble Hill House, developed by Coney in partnership with English Heritage.

Audiences were invited to pick up a pair of headphones, explore the house and uncover its secrets and untold stories; from its original aristocratic owners to the enslaved Africans whose unfree labour provided the goods that furnished it.

This is your first day on your new job as a Watcher at Marble Hill. As a guardian of the house, your role is to sit quietly. To observe. To remain invisible and protect the treasures of the past. But as you sit, you hear a voice. You hear many voices, asking you to take notice. Things are not always as they seem…

Two audience members wearing headphones looking at Marble Hill House

Creative team

Writer and director: Rhianna Ilube
Graphic designer: Jess Sanders
‍Sound designer: Vanessa Garber
‍Voiceover artist: Nicole Acquah
‍Programmer: Suzanna Hurst
‍Producer: Marie Klimis

Watching the House was the result of a collaboration with English Heritage’s youth engagement programme, Shout Out Loud. Over two creative weekends, a group of young people aged 16-18 worked with artists, historians and English Heritage curators to explore the colonial history of Marble Hill, learn about game design and interactive theatre-making and develop ideas for a new interactive smartphone game.

A woman wearing headphones sitting at an old desk

An audio adventure

Watching the House took place at Marble Hill in summer 2025, but you can still play the smartphone adventure using the link below:

PLAY

WATCHING THE HOUSE

Creative team

An audio adventure

Project partners