Crewe Lyceum hosts the current leg of the UK tour of the famous ghost story ‘The Woman In Black’.
Based on Susan Hill’s 1983 gothic horror story, the stage play has been adapted by Stephen Mallatratt and directed by Robin Herford and tells the chilling tale of a spectre which haunts a small English town. It has been adapted several times, including the 2012 film starring Daniel Radcliffe. The original production ran for over 33 years with in excess of thirteen thousand performances and is exceeded only by The Mousetrap as the longest running play in the West End.
The production follows Mr. Arthur Kipps, recanting a tale of when he was a junior solicitor, who finds himself sent to a remote village to sort through the documents of Mrs. Alice Drablow, the owner of the gothic Eel Marsh House, which is cut off from the rest of the village once the tide rises. Befriending Samuel and Jerome, strange and terrifying things start to happen when he spends a night in there alone.
The set by Michael Holt is simplistic but effective. The curtains and furniture front of stage are battered and torn and sets the eerie tone from the get-go. The objects are used cleverly with a basket becoming a trap pulled by a pony, as well as seating in a cart, even a writing bureau.
Malcolm James (Arthur Kipps) and Mark Hawkins (The Actor) were both brilliant to watch. They took on multiple roles effectively and through the delivery and timing built dramatic tension and created something thrilling to watch and take part in.
The brilliance of the piece is that the drab curtains and dull furniture on stage are purposefully there, as your imagination fills in the missing parts and the two actors take you on a journey inside your own mind. A dimly shadowed outline projected onto the stage of Eel Marsh House becomes a splendid, but uninviting gothic mansion, two chairs become a lavish steam train and a simple cloth on the floor, a daunting and eerie marshland.
The balance is struck just right. Theres some witty humour, eerie parts, chilling parts and jump scares. Its a hearty recommendation to go and see this!
The show is on until 27th April and tickets are available online or from the box office. Further details can be found by going here: https://trafalgartickets.com/lyceum-theatre-crewe/en-GB/event/play/the-woman-in-black-tickets
Photo Credit: Mark Douet
