REVIEW: Kym Vaitiekus shares his thoughts on THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Thursday August 1st 7:30 2024 Theatre Royal Sydney.

After three decades in London the Australian production is presented by PW Productions, Woodward Productions and Neil Gooding Productions and directed by Robin Herford.

The play centres on Arthur Kipps, a middle-aged lawyer, who is desperate to rid himself of a curse that has plagued him and his family for years. He believes this curse was cast upon him by the spectre of a mysterious Woman in Black. In a bid to exorcise his fears, he enlists the help of a young actor to assist him in retelling his terrifying story.

The two men begin to reenact Kipps' past experiences, starting with his journey to a secluded village to settle the estate of the reclusive Alice Drablow. Kipps recalls how his routine legal work turned into a series of inexplicable and haunting encounters at the desolate Eel Marsh House.

As the young actor portrays a younger Kipps, the audience is drawn into a world of eerie marshes, howling winds, and ghostly apparitions.

As the play progresses, the line between reality and nightmare blurs, and both men find themselves increasingly ensnared by the malevolent presence of THE WOMAN IN BLACK.

This Play originated as an end of season Christmas production for the Stephen Joseph Theatre, which at that point had limited resources. Using her creativity Herford along with writer Stephen Mallatratt adapted Susan's Hill's book as a two-hander with minimal set and props. Along with the desire to produce a ghost story.

As the story unfolds we jump between the two realities. One with Kipps goal to tell his story and the other reality that is the performance that re-enacts Kipp's narrative.

John Waters and Daniel MacPherson's performances are the standout of the evening. With grounded and earnest portrayals of the Lawyer and the Actor, then to the clever, quirky and engaging characters that evolve during the enacting of Kipp's story.

Waters is the consummate actor, his Kipp is thoroughly engrossing, his comic timing perfect and his dramatic accents are on point. MacPherson expertly embodies the role as The Actor and then beautifully executes the Actor's performance of Kipp the lawyer. The chemistry between the two actors is resolute and sets the script in an engaging concrete performance.

Water's presence adds gravitas to the role but in the end Kipp's journey seems just a vehicle for this production’s self-proclaimed experience of: “this thrilling theatrical exploration of terror”

The evening’s scares consisted of sudden loud noises and screams. This technique is scary movie basics 101. It may have had an impact in 1987 however these simple techniques lack the sophistication that is abundant in today’s theatre scene. 

In keeping with the original production, the design, lighting and sound are well executed by Michael Holt, Kevin Sleep and Sebastian Frost.

These lighting and stage techniques may be more effective on a smaller stage. And it appears this set is designed for a smaller theatre as there were added side black curtains to fill the width of the stage.

A more intimate theatre could add engagement to THE WOMAN IN BLACK. 

Although well produced the original techniques do not incite terror. The reveal at the end is so old fashioned its beyond predictable.

But it can be seen as is a nod to theatre of old.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK is a well-executed taste of theatre of the last century. Check it out for the fine work of Waters and MacPherson and for a study in theatre and an example of a production that lasted thirty decades.

Photography @ Justin Nicholas

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