The Woman In Black
Location: Fortune Theatre
The Fortune Theatre, in London’s West End, has itself been reported to be haunted by the spectral Woman In Black, which is why it is the perfect setting for this popular West End play. Critical acclaim has been high for this production, which has been running at the venue since 1989, with the press referring to it as a truly haunting play that should not be missed.
And it shouldn’t. After all, this play has been wowing audiences with its truly frightening set pieces and its overall feeling of dread and unease. Based on the 1983 novel by Susan Hill, it was adapted for the stage by the pen of writer Stephen Mallatratt.
Who is the mysterious Woman in Black? Arthur Kipps, a solicitor in a small English town must find that out. The play picks up as Kipps relays his story to an actor many years after the incident, showing that it is an event that has had a profound effect on the way in which he views things. Back then, Kipps is told that he must go to the funeral of the Ell Marsh House resident Mrs Alice Drablow – a solemn occasion already that is made more harrowing when he spots a spectral woman dressed all over in black. Who is this woman? The town won’t tell, no matter how clear her existence is to all of them. Kipps realises that perhaps the answers to this mystery lie behind the walls of the grand house, the residence where Alice Drablow once lived.
It’s a spooky story creatively and effectively brought to life on the stage of the Fortune Theatre, ensuring that theatre goers are in store for an eerie night out. The show features the actor Andrew Jarvis as the solicitor Arthur Kipps and Timothy Watson as the actor who hears his story. This production is directed by Robin Herford and arrives on the stage with the lighting provided by Kevin Sleep, providing light for the designs of Michael Holt.
The Fortune Theatre opened after the horrors of World War One had shaken the world, meaning that it managed to escape the fate some theatres had suffered during this time. Its first performance took place on Saturday 8th November 1924 with the Laurence Cowen production Sinner.
So make sure you catch Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre.