The Woman In Black at Milton Keynes Theatre Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Zoey Caldwell
The Woman in Black is not like any theatre experience I have had to date; I was intrigued to see how a cast of two could retell Susan Hill’s 1983 ghost tale. If like me, you have not read the book but have seen the movie- scrap all ideas that the screenplay is anything like the movie.
Set in the early 20th century, the stage play focuses on a broken Arthur Kipps wanting to share the terror that has haunted his life for many years. He enlists the help of an actor to help him retell the horrors of his past. The beginning of the play held some comedic elements that I was not expecting, however the actors had the theatre laughing a good few times.
The stage set is dark and gloomy and befits the mood of the tale being told. The actors use the sparse number of props that they have brilliantly, along with sound effects and a good pinch of audience imagination you can be transported to the melancholy Crythin Gifford, with its dark and guarded inhabitants. With clever lighting and set design you are then taken to Eel Marsh House, the estate of the late reclusive Alice Drablow.
Arthur Kipps (Malcolm James) is a young solicitor from London is sent to Eel Marsh House to go through the late Alice Drablow’s paperwork and to attend her funeral- his youthfulness and enthusiasm for the beauty of Crythin Gifford is met with a village full of secrets and distain for Eel Marsh house. Arthur Kipps first encounters the woman in black during the funeral of Alice Drablow and is struck by her appearance but is still adamant there is no such thing as ghosts, an opinion that slowly starts to unravel the longer he stays at Eel Marsh house.
After an evening alone at Eel Marsh house and a scary experience with the dark, dangerous sea mist that envelopes the marsh with no notice. Arthur Kipps returns for the long haul with a loaned dog Spider for company. Smoke, sound effects and lighting are essential to assist The Actor (Mark Hawkins) create an atmosphere of darkness, terror and suspense as the house comes alive with strange noises, locked doors, and bizarre happenings. An abandoned nursery although locked away and untouched for years lays at the heart of the horror that haunts the villagers of Crythin Gifford and the brutal price that they pay each time there is a sighting of the ominous woman in black. Arthur learns the identity of the ghost is the sister of Alice Drablow and her tragic tale. A woman so eaten with grief and hatred that her death results in nothing less than a deeply evil revenge that results in terrible deaths of children.
I felt that there were parts of the play that left questions- after one highly charged, search for the source of noises Arthur Kipps returns to the nursery to find it wrecked- why? I feel in the movie that there is a clear purpose to this scene, but it does not translate on the stage. I understand with a cast of two, there is a limit of what can be done but the lack of dialogue around this left me with questions. Both Malcolm James and Mark Hawkins manage to bring this dark tale filled with sadness to life with gusto, Mark Hawkins clearly shows the changes in Arthur Kipps personality after his experiences and the tale comes to end with a twist that leaves you feeling the sadness of Arthur Kipps will not be laid to rest with the sharing of his story.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £13 plus transaction fee £3.80
The Woman in Black is at Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday 2nd April to Saturday 6th April. For more information, or to book visit https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-woman-in-black/milton-keynes-theatre/?gad_source=1 or call the box office on 0207 2061174.
https://www.miltonkeynes-theatre.co.uk/theatres/milton-keynes-theatre/the-woman-in-black.php
Milton Keynes Theatre 500 Marlborough Gate, Central Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK9 3NZ