This week marks the 30th anniversary of Susan Hill’s thriller The Woman in Black on the West End. Adapted for the stage by Stephen Mallatratt, the novel was written in 1983 and has since been made into two films, as well as being a prominent part of schools’ education (it is often the studied material for English GCSE students). This has, as Producer Peter Wilson pointed out at the Gala night on Wednesday ‘lowered the average age of West End audiences… And probably the average ticket price also’.
The Woman in Black is a gothic horror story; an actor persuades Mr Kipps to tell his ghost story from many years ago. Their recreation tells the tale of how the young Mr Kipps travels to a remote part of England in search of an old woman’s legal documents after her passing. On his arrival, the villagers seem to be keeping a secret from him and he discovers the ghostly tale of a vengeful woman who appears in creepy situations and inexplicably causes the death of children. It is a surprisingly amusing play and has been directed fantastically by Robin Hereford. It is completely admirable that the play has continued for so long without going stale and still has the ability to frighten audiences from all over the world.
