Mark Hawkins Archives - North West End UK

The Woman in Black – Liverpool Playhouse

8Dec

By Jenn McKeanNo Comments

North West

The Woman in Black – Liverpool Playhouse

I never thought I would laugh so much at a ghost story. I am definitely a fully-fledged all-singing, all-dancing and everyone lives happily ever after type of person when it comes to theatre, fear and but there is something about The Woman in Black that has always intrigued me. I never got to see the run at the Fortune Theatre in London, so jumped at the chance to experience the story on my doorstep. The book was written by Susan Hill in 1983, and whilst it is set in the 1950s (and 1920s) it does feel like a timeless piece. It could be set any time if the dates weren’t mentioned. However, there is definitely something about a Victorian ghost, that gives it authenticity and makes it spookier. With two actors in the cast, they needed to be at the top of their game, as neither spent...

The Woman in Black – Richmond Theatre

This is a two-hander play with Malcolm James playing Arthur Kipps and Mark Hawkins the actor and takes place in the early 1950’s. The story is of an older man Mr Kipps living out his disturbing life and telling his story through is younger self portrayed by the enthusiastic Actor. The scene is set; Arthur Kipps is a solicitor advisory on the estate of Alice Drablow in a small town of Crythin Gifford. It starts with the two players clashing over Arthur’s portrayal and mere reluctance to perform and act out his story in preference to speaking it in a monotone fashion, this frustrates the actor, and this is an ongoing theme throughout. There is narration and switches of character which at times leaves you feeling slightly confused and playing catch up on who is who. ...

The Woman in Black – Wolverhampton Grand

Like the elegant yet phantasmagorical lady of the title, this play glides before us with confidence and aplomb unfurling a cornucopia of thrills, spills, shocks, jolts and moments of truly unsettling terror. This is not fairground spookery, this is not a tuppenny ghost ride. This is your genuine ghost story with every trope you would expect and lots more you wouldn’t. Since this ghostly apparition first shimmered into existence at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in 1987 you may be forgiven for thinking the years had not treated her well and the dust and spiderwebs may have gathered and everything had started to creak a little. But no. This version from PW Productions is as sharp, as fresh and as tight as if this were its premier. The adaptation of Susan Hill’s novel has overshadowed its sour...