Review of The Woman in Black at Norwich Theatre Royal: Compelling yet terrifying ghost story will keep you glued to your seat

The Woman in Black – Theatre Royal, Norwich

Sat looking at a grey and drab set before the action gets under way, my colleague Lucy and I are bracing ourselves for the horrors that we know are about to unfold.

That’s because we’re about to watch The Woman in Black – the ghost story written by Susan Hill and adapted for the stage by Stephen Mallatratt.

We're on edge as we’ve both experienced this story before (both of us had seen the 2012 film and I also saw it on the West End while at secondary school), so we know it’s not for the faint-hearted.

I wouldn’t describe either Lucy or I as horror-loving people, but this is a compelling watch that played more than 13,000 performances over the 33 years that it was on the West End.

It’s now on a UK tour – stopping at Norwich’s Theatre Royal this week – and continuing to draw audiences in.

The Woman in Black follows solicitor Arthur Kipps (Malcolm James) who, in the 1950s, enlists the help of a young actor (Mark Hawkins) to help tell his story and exorcise his fears about a curse that he believes was cast over his family.

The lines begin to blur between make-believe and reality as the pair delve deeper into Mr Kipps’ time at Eel Marsh House 30 years prior.

This version – from PW Productions and directed by Robin Herford – was just as terrifying as I remember, but sprinkled with enough moments of light relief so you’re not constantly on edge.

Despite the set looking relatively simple at first, it was later revealed that there was far more to it. The staging was clever and, at times, left our imaginations filling in the blanks as we got pulled in to the story.

Mention must also go to those behind the sound effects and lighting, which were integral parts of the show.

But at the very core of it were the two performers – James and Hawkins – who were magnificent in their respective roles.

Both were excellent at portraying men who were traumatised by their experiences with the woman in black.

This show is – quite simply – one of the scariest things I have ever experienced, but it’s one that keeps you glued to your seat for the whole two hours.

If you can get along to see it, you won't be left disappointed – although, like Lucy and I, you might well still be thinking about it hours after the curtains have closed.

It is also extremely fitting that this production is playing at Norwich Theatre Royal – as its original producer and founder of PW Productions, Peter Wilson, who sadly died last year, was the theatre’s chief executive from 1992 to 2016.

In his memory, Norwich Theatre, PW Productions and Norfolk Lieutenancy (Mr Wilson also served as Vice Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk up until his death) have jointly offered 500 free tickets to targeted schools and community groups for performances this week.

For more information, visit https://norwichtheatre.org/

The Woman In Black continues at Norwich’s Theatre Royal until Saturday.