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. It does not distract you however from the plot or the detail in the dialogue and the stoic professionalism of the actors. The sense of the play was one of dread, the scenery macabre and well utilised to add a spine tingling feel to this script, complementing the sudden changes in dramatic sound effects and lighting. There is a sense of something awful is about to happen adding to this chilling play. There are many appearances of the ‘Woman in Black’ and at first it is hard to ascertain why she appears when she does. To add surprise or shock it seems like the desired effect.  Her presence often provokes gasps of horror from the audience.

This play appeared to not live up to its reputation as a ‘spine tingling thriller’ in some peoples’ eyes, as there were audience members laughing and talking about the funny inferences peppered throughout at the beginning of the script, talking.  As the plot unfolded the actors did capture the thrilling aspects of what this play intended to provide which backfired on the audience in the end. This was a clever use of script, lulling the audience into a false sense of security. Stephen Mallatratt uses the stage, scenery and sounds to great use to create atmosphere and tension, which is brilliant.

I would strongly recommend reading the book or watching the screenplay to give context to this production. It could be difficult to follow and appreciate if you are not aware of the storylines. The chilling ending adds drama, and the scenes changes, adds fear and anticipation within the audience, a gripping performance. This play is deserved of its reputation, true to the book and screenplay. The undulating twists and turns lives on in the audience well after the performance has ended.

Reviewer: Michelle Knight

Reviewed: 14^th November 2023 

North West End UK Rating: