“The woman in black” is unlike any play I have seen; it is both charming through its characterisations of two characters that you root for, but incredibly frightful through its incessant jump scares.
It follows the story of Arthur Kipps, an old gentleman who enlists the help of a young actor to tell a tale that has been afflicting him since his youth, a story about a mysterious woman in black.
Upon entering the theatre, I was blind to the horror that was awaiting me. Excitement overwhelmed the theatre’s air, but soon the lights dimmed, and excitement morphed into anticipation. The beginning was amusing through the comedic back and forth between the character of Kipps and the actor. The actor encouraged Kipps to tell his tale with, “confidence” however Kipps continued to read in a monotone, prompting laughter from the audience.
Nevertheless, the story got more chilling as it progressed and what I found most distressing wasn’t the spine-tingling sound of a child screaming, to which people gasped and shrieked. What scared me most was being in constant anxiety-inducing anticipation, thinking about when next the elusive black-clad woman was going to jump out and startle us all with her unwanted presence.
Overall, the play was a triumph and I truly felt like I had watched a masterpiece when it had ended. Unfortunately, it is planning to leave the theatre next year and I would implore anyone, anywhere to watch it before it does.
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