The Woman in Black

The Woman in Black

Darlington Civic Theatre

7.2.2013

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This was the second time I had seen the theatre version of The Woman in Black. The first was back in 2010 at the The Fortune Theatre (the ghost's natural habitat). Of course we've had the Hammer film version between then and now, and very good it was too. It interests me that the story can switch from book to play to film and still be successful.

It was good to see so many people in the audience at Darlington. Some of my recent Civic visits have been disappointing in terms of attendance (but not in terms of quality on the stage). There were plenty of younger visitors too - there appeared to be at least two coach trips in that night - which was very good to see. It also meant there were many authentic screams throughout the evening.

The play is effectively a two-hander, with Arthur Kipps and ''The Actor'' played by Julian Forsyth and Antony Eden respectively. I don't know who played the ghost - I just hope everyone else saw it too.

The main effects are achieved by exceptional lighting, with the manifestations of the ghost proving to be perfect crowd-scarers. It's all genuinely creepy stuff (don't go and see this play if you own a rocking chair).

I'm pleased to say this version of The Woman in Black holds up very well on repeat viewing (as does the film).

Keep up to date with the tour dates by visiting the official website.

Here's the trailer to whet the appetite.