The Woman in Black at The Fortune Theatre, London

The Woman in Black

It’s not often I go to the Theatre, although I’d probably say I’m pretty average, in that I probably go between 1 and 5 times a year. Given that proper plays are the height of culture (maybe) I’m going to make my review as serious as possible, although it will probably be similar to most of the others. I have to admit, I’d expected to include a few more jokes in my reviews in geneal, but they have veered sharply towards being serious critiques, perhaps even providing some insight on occasion. An unexpected twist!

On with the serious business of deconstructing a play, something I am utterly incapable of doing with any ability whatsoever.

I had never previously heard of The Woman in Black, which really gives away what an utter pleb I really am, particularly when it comes to the stage, although I’m not really counting musicals here! I was shocked to learn that pretty well all of my friends have seen this play and loved it, and evern more-so that none had mentioned it to me before.

The Play – General Information

The Woman in Black is a story which was first published as a Novel in 1983, written by Susan Hill. Subsequently, it was adapted as a play for a run in Scarborough in 1987, reaching the West End in 1989.

I don’t know how much the play has changed in this time, but I’d venture to guess, not a lot. This is no bad thing though, with much of the charm coming from the varied use of the basic props and clever way of inspiring one’s imagination.

The general premise of the play is that one of the characters (there are two) has a story to tell. He has, until now, been unable to do-so, but feels he must now share it with his family and friends. The second character is an actor, who is employed to help by coaching and eventually help with telling the story. It’s an interesting dynamic and a clever way to tell the story, helping to suck you in quickly and providing some background into why these two men are on stage, and offering some real depth to the personalities.

The play is billed as something of a fright-fest and it is genuinely the most scary thing I’ve seen performed live, although this particular genre is not well represented via this medium. There is both the deeper psychological aspect, as well as the suspense and ‘jump out of your seat’ brands of terror which keeps you interested throughout the play, although inevitably some times the story is predictable it is never boring.

The Fortune Theatre

Somebody once said to me that they saw this play on tour and they felt that the theatre wasn’t ideal, rather killing off any of the more frightening aspects. I must say, I thought the Fortune Theatre was ideal. We were sat in the stalls, which I would imagine are far and away the best seats for this play, although we were right in the front right corner. The theatre is on the smaller side, which I think gives the required level of intimacy. As is the case with all of London’s traditional old theatres, it’s a bit of a rabbit’s warren when inside, but there are plenty of drinking facilities and such like.

4/5

The Cast

I was lucky enough to see both of the leading actors. I don’t have many thoughts, because to my eye, the actor is either believable or not. You can only really offer a detailed critique if you’ve seen other’s play the role and/or the actor’s prior work, neither of which is true in this case.

Patrick Drury – Arthur Kipps

Patrick Drury seems to me to have been an ideal choice for this role. He executes the part well and helps you to identify well with the character.

Full details on Patrick Drury can be found here: http://www.thewomaninblack.com/about_womaninblack/cast.php?id=1

Antony Eden – The Actor

Again, the role of ‘The Actor’ has been well cast with the choice of Antony Eden (pictured). He is entertaining and energetic and appears to have a good rapport with Patrick Drury.

Full details on Atony Eden can be found here: http://www.thewomaninblack.com/about_womaninblack/cast.php?id=3

5/5

The Production

Always intended to be a ‘low cost’ production, it seems there wasn’t a great deal for the set designer to do for the majority of this play. Much of the play is performed around very few items, a desk, two chairs, a large hamper and a clothes rail. It fits well with the idea that the play is actually rehersals for the two men. Some might suggest that the imaginary dog is a little ridiculous, although you wouldn’t have a real dog in this setting anyway, so it works, at least to my mind. The set-up of a play within a play also cleverly allows you to suspend disbelief on a number of levels, depending on which part of the play you are watching, also allowing you to ignore things like the imaginary dog, or the hamper posing as a horse and carriage.

4/5

Overall

A play I would more than recommend, a really entertaining evening and genuinely scary. I’ve heard some people have been back 7 or more times, which is as much of a recommendation you are ever likely to get. The play has been running for 21 years, but they are booking into February, there’s no rush, but it’s also a popular production and likely to remain so. A top choice for anyone who doesn’t mind a stage show without singing!

5/5

Book online here: http://www.thewomaninblack.com/book_tickets_womaninblack/booking_info.php

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