The Woman in Black announces full tour dates and cast

Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black is set to return for a UK tour in 2025 and 2026, and further dates and casting have been revealed.

The play, adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from Hill’s novel, follows a lawyer convinced that a curse has been placed on his family by the spectre of the Woman in Black. He hires a young actor to help him recount his story, but as they delve into his past, the boundaries between fiction and reality begin to blur.

The production played in the West End for 33 years, running for over 13,000 performances at the Fortune Theatre before closing in March 2023. More than seven million people have seen the play in the UK since its premiere.

John Mackay will star as Arthur Kipps, with Daniel Burke as The Actor.

As already announced, this new tour will open at Storyhouse, Chester on 24 September 2025 and then visit Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, followed by a three-week run at London’s Alexandra Palace before continuing to Plymouth, Brighton, Richmond, and Bath.

In 2026, the tour will stop in Darlington, York, Glasgow, Birmingham, Chelmsford, Oxford, Poole, Liverpool, Nottingham, Bradford, Peterborough, Malvern, Southampton and Guildford.

The show was first staged in 1987 at a pub in Scarborough before transferring to the Lyric Hammersmith in 1989. It later moved to the Strand Theatre, then the Playhouse, before settling at the Fortune Theatre in June 1989. Throughout its run, producers have maintained a commitment to ensuring ticket prices remain accessible to students and young audiences.

The Woman in Black is directed by Robin Herford, with designs by Michael Holt and lighting by Kevin Sleep.