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REVIEW
​✭✭✭✭☆ 4/5
The Woman in Black
​
Palace Theatre, Southend-on-Sea
MON 13 – SAT 18 JAN 2020
Storm Brendan strikes the Palace Theatre, Southend-on-Sea, battering the building and rattling the rafters. This is the perfect evening for a terrifying ghost story!
I’m lucky in that I have no preconceptions of The Woman in Black, armed only with my programme that has no synopsis aside from the words, ‘The action takes place in this Theatre about one hundred years ago.’ 

Drab blankets and rags decorate simple props laid out on the stage in a seemingly ordinary setting as the audience members take to their seats in anticipation. The auditorium is eerily lit.  This evening’s crowd is made up of a large cross-section of demographics; large groups of young adults are in attendance to study the production for upcoming exams, whilst families and couples sit wondering what they’re all about to experience. There’s a real sense of anticipation from the packed stalls.

As Arthur Kipps (played by Robert Goodale) walks onto the stage the place falls deathly silent and we listen intently as he begins to recite memoirs from a particularly spine-tingling moment in his life. Tonight’s first scare comes in the form of The Actor (played by Daniel Easton) who’s entrance now has us believing that anything might happen over the course of this evening.

Tonight, we’ve somehow interrupted a dress rehearsal replaying moments in this man’s life and here we, the audience, sit as ghosts watching on in an empty auditorium.

We’ve been introduced to the entire cast of two but you’d be foolish to think it ends there.  It becomes clear that these characters are part of a multi-faceted world of trickery and deception for there are other elements that come into force by building layer upon layer of theatrical techniques that engulf  bringing us into their world.

The sound design is stunning as it’s used effectively from every corner of the space to cast unease and shock throughout the production. The range of dynamics it achieves successfully fools the audience into thinking all is well in one moment, only to bring us straight back into feelings of fear during the next.

The lighting design amplifies this further as we’re treated with a barrage of simple, yet very effective, methods that remain as such throughout the entire play.  From a visual impact The Woman in Black completely relies on brilliant lighting in order to bring its audience members into different settings whilst retaining a basic stage setup.

These elements all play into the theatrical trope centred around our imagination, which is referenced continuously between the two characters re-enacting these chilling scenes from Arthur’s life. Props such as large wicker baskets for costumes are utilised as beds and seats, and; as the play progresses, rags are pulled away from items on the stage to reveal new worlds to explore.

So convinced we are by our imaginations that at one point there is an audible “aww” from the audience as a character taps an invisible dog along with his foot!

In Act II it becomes clear that the set itself plays a much larger role as we’re introduced to mysteries which lie behind locked doors revealing components we didn’t previously know existed; with unsettling scenes involving our two characters.

Goodale and Easton act as a multitude of individuals in the ‘play within a play’ and dash from one to another at breakneck speed with such ease and clarity. It all becomes incredibly convincing and charming at the same time.

The stage that started as a few boxes and curtains has now fully revealed itself to physically be much, much more.  Expert light and sound (and a little theatrical magic) makes this a truly impressive and brilliantly scary experience.  However, these moments are probably best left unexplained for you to enjoy the experience of this production for yourself.

Review:  Sam Holland

Susan Hill’s “The Woman in Black” runs until Sunday, 18 January at Palace Theatre, Southend-on-Sea.

Adapted by Stephen Mallatrat and directed by Robin Herford.

Tickets available here: https://southendtheatres.org.uk/Online/tickets-the-woman-in-black-southend-2020
Tickets:  www.southendtheatres.org.uk​   Box Office:  01702 351135

Pricing
PRICE BAND A *
£21.00  -  £31.00
RESTRICTED VIEW PRICE BAND A *
£21.00  -  £31.00
PRICE BAND B *
£21.00  -  £29.00
PRICE BAND C *
£20.00  -  £22.00
RESTRICTED VIEW PRICE BAND C *
£20.00  -  £22.00

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