The Woman in Black- Review by Michele Clark
July 2nd 2007 07:20
The Woman in Black
This play was commissioned in 1987 as a cheap-to-produce, minimal cast, ‘stocking filler’ to run over the Christmas period. Playwright Stephen Mallarratt wrote this ghost story, based on Susan Hill’s novel of the same name.
In a nutshell, A lawyer is obsessed with the belief that he and his family have been cursed by The Woman In Black. In an attempt to exorcise the evil, he engages a sceptical young actor to help him tell his story. It all begins innocently enough, but then, as the story begins to unfold, the borders between memory and reality begin to blur, and the flesh begins to creep.
The expression on her face ...
desperate yearning malevolence ...
filled me with indescribably loathing and fear ...(net sourced)
Starring Robin Herford and Mark Healy, this travelling adaptation of the infamous London stage play has just completed its Christchurch run. I was lucky enough to go and see the matinee on Sunday afternoon, and it was just as well acted, as atmospheric and as downright spooky as when I saw it in London a few years ago. It’s a straightforward ghost story, telling the tale of a young solicitor who travels to a bleak village to settle the estate of a Mrs Alice Drablow. While there, he encounters surly villagers, unforgiving marshes and glimpses of a white-faced woman in black. It wouldn’t be fair to tell any more of the story, but it captivated the audience from the moment it began. Although there are only two actors, and a minimal set, the feeling of menace quickly began to build, and there were a few moments when we all jumped out of our seats. The sound and lighting added to the atmosphere, and the fact that there was no intermission meant that the rhythm of the play wasn’t interrupted.
The only let down was the acoustics of the Isaac Theatre Royal. I paid almost $70 for my ticket, including all the booking fees, and still had to strain to hear most of the way through the play.
That said, if you ever get chance to go and see this play, then you should. You won’t think you can be scared in a theatre full of people, but you can!
M. Clark
Thanks for that Michele and if any other readers would like to submit reviews, news or interesting stories then feel free to email details of item to kiwiauthor@xtra.co.nz and I will be in touch.
Michele also writes short stories and has been featured previously on Conversations from NZ
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