Review Roundup: What Did Critics Think of WOMAN IN BLACK at Seattle Rep?

WOMAN IN BLACK opened at the Seattle Repertory Theater on March 4 and is running through March 24, 2019.

In the village of Crythin Gifford, the wind howls across the moors and fog creeps mysteriously around the town spires. At the edge of the village's cemetery, young lawyer Arthur Kipps glimpses the figure of a woman, garbed all in black, and is drawn into Crythin's cursed and haunted history. Susan Hill's gothic ghost story, The Woman in Black, comes to spine-tingling life in this cunning stage adaptation that left London's West End theatregoers enthralled.

Let's see what the critics have to say...

Jay Irwin, BroadwayWorld: Mallatratt as well as director Robin Herfordbeautifully amp up the story bit by bit as we begin with getting the real Mr. Kipps more and more used to performing until by the end it's just a smooth performance. This storytelling convention lulls the audience into a false sense of security so they can take us for a ride. And they do it so well, especially with the stunning lighting design from Kevin Sleep and horrifying sound design from Ron Mead and Gareth Owen.

Keridwyn, Seattle Pockets: The script, costuming and set do a fantastic job of evoking the time period and describing the scene and events that occurred. The house, the marshes, the island, the ocean, the graveyard, the theater, and even the weather all seem like characters in their own right. The acting is solid and the two actors do a brilliant job of playing all the roles in the show and help the audience to be pulled into the creepy and unsettling story as the play progresses. While I wouldn't call the show full on horror (it's still family-friendly and there are certainly a lot of comedic moments written into the script), there are plenty of cool visual and sound effects as well as quite a few jump-scares that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Roger Mastroianni, Queen Anne & Magnolia News: The talented Armacost and Vidal do the rest. They are splendid, their moods ranging from subtle humor to feigned fear. Armacost's characters vary in temperament and style, which he delivers with virtuoso panache. Vidal embodies The Actor, especially as young Kipps, with a marvelous diversity of emotions. And the mysterious Woman in Black wafts in and out of the action with ghostly menace and malevolence.

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