It has been three decades since the imaginative adaptation of Susan Hill’s 1983 Gothic horror story launched itself onto the London stage. Suspense, surprise and sensational storytelling have always been what has drawn people of all ages to The Woman in Black, and 33 years on, it captivates its audience all the same. Serving as one of the longest-running plays in the West End, can a thirty-year-old production with thirty-year-old set design and special effects still fuel a fearful reaction? Absolutely!
Firstly, a comment must be made about the Fortune Theatre itself; small, intimate and gothic in style, it complements the production to perfection with its eerie ambience and brooding interior. The modest size of the auditorium instils a premeditated apprehension of when and where the woman in black will appear – “We’re sat in the middle, good. We’re safe from her here,” I jested. “That was exactly my thought,” chuckled a man in the row behind me. We were both being completely serious.

The set, of course, ageing with the production still works as a dream. Minimalist and humble, the front part of the stage – their rehearsal space, holds a huge storage hamper filled with props, and a clothing rail, for the many coats of characters each actor portrays. A gauze dividing the stage depicts several scene changes from a graveyard, and rickety staircase to a ghostly nursery. The soundscape is the true mood creator of this production, conveying the hustle and bustle of London, the clip-clop of a horse and carriage and the deafening screams from our ghoulish antagonist.

This chilling production does not disappoint and casts its spell of wickedness and terror onto all who spectate. This timeless play is booking until April 2023 and you would be a fool not to experience this taste of delicious angst.
Review by Esther Neville
Rating: ★★★★
Seat: Stalls G7 | Price of ticket: £55.00