The Woman in Black Review

Blackpool Grand Theatre – until Saturday 4 November 2023

Reviewed by Debra Skelton

5*****

If it is a ghost story that you want, then The Grand Theatre Blackpool has just what you need and that is ‘The Woman in Black’ which is showing until Saturday 4th November 2023.

This production is presented by PW Productions and is the adaptation by the late playwright Stephen Mallatratt and directed by Robin Herford.

The Woman in Black’ is a ghost story written by Susan Hill where Arthur Kipps the main character relates his haunting experiences at Eel Marsh House.

On Christmas Eve the stepchildren of Arthur ask him to tell them a spooky ghost story, but he decides that it best to write the only story that he knows down as to avoid being disturbed by his memories by telling the story out loud.

The story is about a young Arthur Kipps a junior solicitor who is sent by his employer to Eel Marsh House to settle the affairs of the late Mrs Alice Drablow. At the funeral he sees a sickly-looking young woman dressed in black with which no one else does, however he witnesses her again when he reaches Eel Marsh House which is creepy as its cut off from the mainland at high tide.

Whilst sorting through Mrs Drablow’s papers, Arthur is haunted by the sound of a pony and trap and continues with sightings of the woman. A local man, Sam Dailey reveals to Arthur who the woman is that is haunting the house, Jennet the sister of Alice Drablow.

He ends up staying overnight with Sam’s dog Spider for company where they are spooked by cries, rumblings, and bumps in the night. A door mysteriously unlocks, and Arthur finds a nursery filled with toys and a rocking chair in motion.

Sam rescues Arthur from the house and tells him how every time the woman in black is seen, a child dies by accident.

Unfortunately, the story does not have a happy ending for Arthur as in the future he sees the woman in black again whilst in London and minutes later his wife Stella and child die in a terrible accident.

This production has only two actors, Malcolm James who plays Arthur Kipps and Mark Hawkins who plays The Actor. Their performances can only be described as totally breath taking and their presence on the stage keeps you in your seats the whole way through the play and the rapturous applause at the end was well deserved.

Special thanks are also needed to Antony Eden the Associate Director, Michael Holt the designer, Sebastian Frost for the eerie, scary, and jumping out of your seat sounds and Kevin Sleep for the spooky lighting.