There are plenty of shows that come and go in the West End designed to give audiences a good scare, and whilst some such as “Ghost Stories” receive great praise, they do not remain a lasting presence in the London theatre scene like the ongoing “The Woman in Black”. After all, the show has been running at the Strand and Fortune Theatre since 1989 and is showing no signs of closing its doors any time soon. And with a movie adaptation with “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe in production, it is likely that new audiences will soon be introduced to the spooky goings-on at Ell Marsh House.
We are introduced to Arthur Kipps in “The Woman in Black”, a solicitor sitting down to discuss an experience of his to a young actor set to portray it onstage. Kipps has a strange story to tell and one that takes audiences back in time earlier in his career when he was a junior solicitor sent to settle matters for Mrs Alice Drablow, who has recently died. He attends her funeral in a small English town and soon things take a dramatic turn when he spots a spectral woman in black amongst those in attendance. No-one will tell him anything about the woman and pretty soon he realises that the answers may lie in the former residence of Drablow – the large and ominous Ell Marsh House. But what secrets will Kipps find behind its doors?
The story was originally set to paper as a novel by Susan Hill in 1983 and by the end of the decade audiences already had visual representation of the tale as it was adapted for the stage by Stephen Mallatratt. It premiered at the Scarborough Theatre-by-the-sea in 1987 and would eventually open in the West End at the Strand Theatre in 1989, before finding its current home of the Fortune Theatre in 1990. From then on millions of people have witnessed the production and have been compelled by the spooky goings-on onstage. It is a testament to the writing, the performances and the work behind the scenes that it still manages to shock and entertain more than twenty years since it first opened.
The Woman in Black continues at the Fortune Theatre and looks set to continue for the foreseeable future.
Discounted Tickets
WAS: £25NOW: £17
Valid Monday to Friday evenings
WAS: £45NOW: £23
Valid all performances
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Venue Information
Fortune Theatre
Russell Street, Covent Garden
London
WC2B 5HH View Map
Directions
Take the Piccadilly Line to Covent Garden and exit into the piazza. The theatre is approximately 5 minutes walk.
