The Woman in Black at Alhambra Theatre, Bradford Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Claire Giles

Like a lot of people I read Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black book in school many years ago and remember it being quite a chilling read. The book has so many elements so I couldn’t picture how The Woman in Black could be adapted for the stage without losing a lot of main elements that make it such a chilling ghost story. Coming directly from the West End and having a 33 year run at the Fortune Theatre I considered it was definitely worth a watch and I’m so glad that I did.

We watched the show at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford. I have been here many times before and it is my favourite theatre. The theatre itself is visually stunning both inside and out (especially at night when it is all lit up outside) with plenty of payable car parking nearby. The staff are always friendly and helpful. It is easily located in Bradford City Centre.

Upon entering the theatre the stage was already set with long grey dirty looking drapes, a huge wicker basket and some chairs making it very minimal. This was the main stage used in the production and the sparse props were cleverly repeatedly used to create the scenes for different parts of the story. I never knew there were so many ways to use a wicker basket before! Later in the show it was revealed that behind the drapes were more props and furniture that alongside some clever projections onto the drapes created rooms for the house, stairs and even a graveyard. Clever use of lighting, changing from light on to lights off, shadows, smoke and sound effects really helped to bring the scenes to life and create an eerie and thrilling atmosphere that runs throughout the story.

Centred around Mr Kipps an ageing lawyer who has hired an actor to help him put on a performance of a manuscript he has written about his life for his family and friends. He gets very emotional about the need to tell his story and let his truth be known in order to relieve his burden and stop his nightmares. This grips the audience early on as to what is his story and what is this burden he talks about.

There were only two actors throughout the whole performance and they were simply amazing. They played several different characters each throughout the performance by using quick clever clothes changes to seemingly seamlessly manifest character changes using coats, hats and scarfs that were hung on a rail on stage. They played every character exceptionally well and held the performance level from beginning to end.

The story was very narrative throughout and constantly changed the narrative from present to past and vice versa. There were no songs, special effects or fancy costumes. You had to get involved in the story and use your imagination to fill in the gaps sometimes. This worked really well overall though the interaction between the actors and the invisible dog was kind of weird at times. Of course there were some appearances from The Woman in Black usually accompanied by a jump scare, screaming and when you least expected it. It definitely had the jump scare factor. I wasn’t really scared but it definitely made me jump a few times and you were constantly on edge wondering when the Woman in Black would next appear.

The show is not recommended for children under 12 years.

Overall it had a bit of everything. It had humour in places, scares, had you jumping in your seat and some people screaming at times when the Woman in Black ran across the stage or appeared suddenly in front of the actors. After coming out of the theatre and thinking about it more I realised actually how cleverly produced the whole show really was. An amazing production I would highly recommend people to see. The actors thoroughly deserved the standing ovation they received at the end.

Rating: 4.5/5
Tickets cost from: £20.75 – £40.75

https://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/news/susan-hills-the-woman-in-black
Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black is at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford from Tuesday 20 – Saturday 24 February 2024
For more information or to book ticket visit www.bradford-theatres.co.uk or call the box office on 01274 432000
Alhambra Theatre, Morley Street, Bradford, BD7 1AJ