The Woman in Black (Woman in Black)

Member Name: jcpurpledragons

Product:	Woman in Black
Date:	22/11/08 (519 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Demonstrates the true power that theatre can have

Disadvantages: The first half can leave some disappointed at the interval

The Woman in Black, written by Stephen Mallatrat is based on the novel by Susan Hill. It opened at the Fortune Theatre in London's west end in 1989 and has played to audiences of over two million since, being the second longest running play in the West End, after The Mousetrap. The gothic formula of the novel is realized on stage with great ingenuity through the use of meta-theatre as a way in for modern audiences skeptical of the realities of the stage.

The play opens with a virtually bare stage, a young actor, and Arthur Kipps: a man with a tragic tale to tell. Wanting some training in telling his tale to his family, he becomes the unwilling participant in a reenactment of the haunting events that happened to him. This self-aware approach helps to slowly break down the barriers of many of the audience who turn up demanding to be scared.

To reveal the plot would be a real spoiler, beyond saying that we find ourselves in a gothic deserted house which rises out of the isolated misty moors, being confronted with the tragic deaths that have cursed all who have live there. As you can see the setting and basic premise is an all-too familiar one in the world of fright, and yet this piece achieves timelessness.

Little do the audience know as they confidently mock its lack of any real fright in the interval, that by the end a good few of them will be screaming!

Cast/Production:
Stephen Mallatratt - Playwright
Andrew Jarvis - Arthur Kipps
Timothy Watson - The Actor
Susan Hill - Author
Robin Herford - Director
Michael Holt - Designer
Kevin Sleep - Lighting Designer
Seán Brosnan - (Understudies the part of Arthur Kipps)
Toby Sharp - (Understudies the part of The Actor)
Vision Productions
Jon Huyton - Company Stage Manager
Sian Kemp - Deputy Stage Manager
Amy Quinn - Assistant Stage Manager
Caroline Stroud - Sound Operator
PW Productions - Producers

Venue:
Fortune Theatre, Covent Garden

Performance Times
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 8pm
Matinees: Tuesday 3pm, Saturday 4pm
The performance runs for approximately 2 hours.

Booking Information
Box Office: 0870 060 6626
Open Monday to Saturday 10am - 8pm to personal callers
Ticketmaster: 0870 534 4444 (24 hour credit card booking)
A £3.00 processing fee per transaction applies

Website:
www.thewomaninblack.com
www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Seat Prices:
Stalls: £39.00, £29.00
Dress Circle: £39.00, £29.00
Upper Circle: £23.00, £13.50
(New Upper Circle price takes effect from 22 Dec 08 - £13.50 increases to £16.50)
A £1 restoration levy charged by the theatre is included in the ticket price

Summary: A chilling tale ingeniously realised