The Woman In Black at Bradford Alhambra: Review
21 Feb, 2024 | by Alex Moran
The Woman In Black at Bradford Alhambra
Image(s): Mark Douet
Scarborough. 1987. A Christmas ghost story premieres on a low budget…
Thirty-seven years on, Robin Herford’s horror masterpiece continues to terrify audiences up and down the country.
It’s for the above, that I will forever adore The Woman In Black. What started out in the bar (yes, a bar) of the Stephen Joseph Theatre has turned into one of the longest-running plays in British theatrical history, enthralling generations with its masterful suspense, classic jump scares and gripping storytelling.
And once again, in front of a packed house at the Bradford Alhambra, it didn’t disappoint.
The story. Arthur Kipps, a retired lawyer (Malcolm James), enlists the help of a professional actor (Mark Hawkins), to help him tell his story and exorcise ghosts of the past…
In their play within a play, Kipps travels to the isolated market town of Crythin Gifford to oversee the estate of Alice Drablow. Recently deceased. It’s here that he encounters the terrifying spectre of a woman in black, an experience that is, over 30 years on, still woven into his very fibres.
The production requires exceptional storytelling and actors James and Hawkins are masters of their craft. What also sets this haunting story apart is how it unlocks the audiences imagination. “Imagine, if you would…” says the real Kipps halfway through Act One. And imagine we do. We see the marsh, we see the haunted house, we even see Spider the dog. Such feats are owed to the genius of Herford’s direction, Stephen Mallatratt’s timeless adaptation, both James, Hawkins, and of course…the woman.
A special mention to Rob Mead’s original sound too, which will haunt you long after you leave the theatre.
The Woman In Black is brilliantly effective, delivering a spine-chilling atmosphere fully deserving of last night’s standing ovation. Terrifying. Terrific. Theatre at its finest.