The Richmond Theatre production of 'The Woman in Black' managed to surpass the suspense of the novel, delivering a genuinely terrifying play.
The production came to Richmond directly from the West End, after finally closing in March 2023 and becoming the second longest-running West End show after ‘Mouse Trap’. There was no doubt that the performance maintained the sophistication expected of a West End show.
Malcolm James as Arthur Kipps and Mark Hawkins as The Actor gave incredibly realistic performances. As the play notably only has two speaking actors, the story is able to focus more heavily on the protagonist Arthur Kipps, and the audience cares more deeply for him and his story.
Susan Hill’s novel, which the play is based upon, only really has two integral characters: Arthur Kipps and the Woman in Black herself. However, the play adds the character of a young actor who performs the older Kipps’s past encounter with the Woman. In this production, the older, disillusioned Arthur Kipps starkly contrasts the younger, enthusiastic Actor at the beginning of the play, though the two become harrowingly similar by the end.
Though the script calls for limited scenery, the actors made brilliant use of the stage, performing a play within a play that became more creepy and realistic by the minute. The audience was invested throughout, and some people even yelled out in terror during the second act. It is no wonder that the performance was sold out.
