The Woman in Black

With pale faces and shallow
breaths friends have described The Woman in Black
to me. Stepping foot inside the packed auditorium it was clear I was
not alone. The room pulsed with excitement, hundreds of spectators hungry
for horror.

The plot narrowly avoids descending
into the typical Victorian, haunted mansion, creepy children category
through the genius of its structure. Everything happening within the
play is an event from the past, experienced by the elderly gentleman,
Mr Kipps (Robert Demeger) who after decades burdened by his fear, decides
to relay his story. Kipps, a delightfully doddering character, is aided
by the exuberant Actor (Peter Bramhill). The Actor takes on the role
of Kipps’ younger self whilst Kipps sets out to play every other character.
The Actor and Kipps set off to re-enact the horrific happenings inside
the deserted house of Kipps’ late client, Alice Drablow, complete
with rolling fogs and haunted rocking chairs.

Although both actors are astonishing,
it is Demeger’s superb performance which elevates the play from a
creepy tale to a truly affecting piece of theatre. Demeger’s subtly
and poise coupled with Bramhill’s electric energy perfectly complement
the play’s trickery between performance and reality. Although Demeger
adopts half a dozen roles at least, it is to his credit and the talent
of director Robin Hereford, that none are monotone stereotypes. Each
creation is fully fleshed out and successful in escorting the compelling
narrative.

Ironically the play suffers
in its use of the titled spectre. The brief seconds when the woman in
black appears on stage are the reason you buy your ticket. Without perfecting
her appearances the show may as well be Jaws minus
the shark. The ghost’s appearances aren’t sharp enough to achieve
their blood-curdling potential. The effect was spoilt by her white face
being visual which was unnecessary as The Actor’s description of her
shrunken flesh will always be more chilling than the thing itself. More
often than not I couldn’t help wishing the production has put more
trust in their audience’s imagination.

The skill of the actors; their
excruciating long silences, building up suspense greedily, didn’t
require all the extra fussy details. Kevin Sleep’s lighting design,
though for the most part is inspiring, at times feels superfluous. Elaborate
gobos, clash with the traditional storytelling when something far simpler
would be more effective. Similarly Gareth Owen’s sound design, though
initially effective, strays into the chasm of corniness from simply
being overused.

Despite pernickety details
The Woman in Black is well worth seeing. The innovation
of the simple set design, acting and direction save the play from being
a predictable scare.

– Beth Friend