The Woman in Black - Culture Calendar

The Night I felt Theatre had followed me home

I rarely book to see anything with a dark side.

Give me musical theatre, concerts, dance, live entertainment or a good story with plenty of warmth, and I’m usually there. Horror? Not so much.

And yet, after watching Daniel Radcliffe in The Woman in Black, curiosity got the better of me. I booked a theatre ticket.

How much atmosphere was created with so little

Arthur Kipps, a young solicitor, travels to a remote house to deal with the estate of a deceased woman. Despite warnings from the locals, including the dangers of the causeway and the changing tide, he continues towards Eel Marsh House, where the real story begins to unfold.

There was darkness. A distinct chill, and a dimly lit candlelight on stage. Surrounded by thousands of people – I felt completely alone, and with the sound of something coming from upstairs – Arthur goes to investigate, taking nothing but a small candle light.

Entering a room filled with porcelain-faced dolls, their gowns covered in cobwebs, Arthur discovers an empty rocking chair … rocking, as though someone has just left abruptly.

A loud shreaking sound, and a glimpse of a troubled face staring back at him through the window (on the second floor) … A shadow that doesn’t look human.

I kid you not …. I felt scared. Unlike watching a horror movie at home, I couldn’t pause it, turn the lights on, or wander into the kitchen for a cup of tea, never mind hide behind a big cushion. I was sitting inside the story.

Just to add more drama, the theatre I had visited had a train line running underground, and the vibration of the trains roaring down the track was vibrating through my feet.

The Woman in Black – not only a production proving that great storytelling doesn’t always require a huge cast, or elaborate special effects. Instead, it uses sound, lighting, movement, timing, and perhaps the audience imagination.

And then I went home…

I have owned a rocking chair for years, and that night – my imagination had suddenly become more sinister. Was it rocking on its own? Probably not! Did I sleep with one eye open the whole night long – quite possibly.

Perhaps that’s the greatest compliment I could give The Woman in Black. This eerie performance and story telling stayed with me (and my rocking chair) Dramatic. Spellbinding. Hypnotic. Gripping… and quite terrifying especially for those that do not gravitate towards the dark.

Now that’s Theatre. Highly recommended.

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