THE WOMAN IN BLACK: THE MOST TERRIFYING LIVE THEATRE EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD
Proud and solitary, Eel Marsh House surveys the windswept reaches of the salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway. Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor, is summoned to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, the house's sole inhabitant, unaware of the tragic secrets which lie hidden behind the shuttered windows. It is not until he glimpses a wasted young woman, dressed all in black, at the funeral, that a creeping sense of unease begins to take hold, a feeling deepened by the reluctance of the locals to talk of the woman in black - and her terrible purpose. Years later, as an old man, he recounts his experiences to an actor in a desperate attempt to exorcise the ghosts of the past. The play unfolds around the conversations of these two characters as they act out the solicitor's experiences on Eel Marsh all those years ago.
Over the years the West End production of The Woman in Black has seen a number of cast changes, with every new actor bringing his own interpretation and style to the roles. It was first performed at the Theatre-By-The-Sea in Scarborough back in 1987. The original production received rave reviews, paving the way for future productions throughout the country. It reached the West End in 1989 where it has been a major audience puller ever since. Its success has subsequently reached a global level, having spread to the US, South America and through to the Tokyo theatre scene, and beyond.
Unanimously acclaimed by the critics and now in its 23rd year in the West End, The Woman In Black combines the power and intensity of live theatre with the cinematic quality of film noir.