Review of ‘The Woman In Black’: “Still a hot spook”

The most terrifying classic in British theatre continues to bewitch the country with its current national tour – bringing back the glitz and horror of the recently closed original. Guillermo Nazara shares spills his guts on the production, to let us know if this oldie is frightfully good.

Imagine an old theatre haunted by the most terrifying curse ever imaginable. A dark, empty stage towers before your eyes – its eerie atmosphere, serving as some sort of macabre warning for the horrors that are about to unravel. Lights haven’t gone off as the play begins, yet the tension already cuts through the air. So many years have gone by since it first happened, and yet it’s still as unnerving as day one. A shrilling, piercing sound flies by out of the blue – the nightmare has begun: there’s a school trip in tonight’s audience…

Some people would argue if the right way to make children behave is to give them a good fright, so they don’t do it again. Well, I may not be allowed to write what I’d do (wink, wink – my lawyer has advised), but I can assure that yesterday’s performance of The Woman in Black certainly brought an interesting suggestion – and proved its point in spades. Because the irritating mumbling filling the auditorium was suddenly wiped off by an even grimmer feeling: the uneasy sound of silence.

Dead yet thunderous – brought out by the uncontrollable distress pouring from behind the curtain. The distant sound of footsteps echoing above. Darkness. A subtle cracking noise on the other side. Stillness. The dire breathing of someone standing right behind you. You’re petrified – fearing your body can’t respond anymore. Somehow, you find the strength to turn around… There’s no one. You puff in relief… BEHIND YOU!!!

Over three decades have passed since Stephen Mallatratt was approached to come up with a small piece that could be put onstage with a very limited budget. I wonder how many were surprised when he told them he had chosen Susan Hill’s Gothic novel as the subject of what, initially, was intended to be a short-term pub production. Little could they expect by then what was about to come – and neither could its audience…

An old man tormented by the ghosts of his past. Never before has that expression had a stronger meaning… An actor hired to help him shape his recount so people can know. And trust me, if you attend, you surely will – maybe (and most probably) for your own doom… Terror finds its most sophisticated form through the bleak brilliance of its writing – exploring almost every technique inherent to the theatre, to create a true spectacle of fear triggered by your own mind. There’s hardly any sets or props, yet no other show will likely immerse you as vividly (despite its ghostly nature) as this one can.

Directed by Robin Herford, its perfectly executed rhythm (almost as distressing as the quiet rocking of an empty chair – watch out for that…) builds up the suspense in an impeccable manner – tying a discreet bond with its audience at the beginning, and loudly exploding during the second act as the horror starts to thrive. Boasting an awfully beautiful use of language during its initial scenes, the piece seamlessly progresses into a more visual tone as the action takes faster speed – blending, with flawless balance, all different styles of storytelling to rip us with a grasping, nail-biting tale of ghastly allure.

Featuring only two actors to portray all the parts, brilliantly structured through its extremely clever theatrical framework, the challenge of making the scares actually jump out of the page is, without a doubt, the real frump of this production. However, there’s no need to fear (sort to speak…), as the cast delivers their roles with immaculate integrity – exuding intoxicating rapport and enthrallment through their quite differentiated yet complementary renditions. Mark Hawkins excels with his magnetic, energy-boosting interpretation of The Actor – endowing his role with the charm and elegance associated to a traditional thespian. On the other hand, Malcolm James gives an impressive performance as both Arthur Kipps and the rest of the characters, making such accentuated distinction among them (including the realistically dull, lackluster temperament of his main persona), sometimes it’s hard to remember he’s, in fact, acting. There’s someone else to talk about, but mentioning her name may not be wise… Although I will say that a more elaborate make-up and perhaps the use of light under her face are the only tweaks that this montage needs. But of course, she has other matters to take…

With its spirit still quite intact and unwilling to fade away any time soon, The Woman in Black is far from ending the spell she cast on its audience back in 1987. Relying on still incredibly effective staging and one of the most resourceful scripts we’ve been regaled with in a long time, its ageless enticement once again proves that skillful narrative, originality and imagination are the only tools necessary to carry out a work of value – where entertainment is driven by the power of quality storytelling. With a few gasps to be followed even on the day after your visit, there’s just one reason not to come see it. But if you’ve made it until the end of this review, you’re already probably as haunted as I am.

All pictures credit to Mark Douet.

The Woman In Black is currently on tour across the UK and Ireland until June 2024. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara