The Woman in Black

I moved to London just over a month ago now, but only this weekend did I actually get a chance to go out and experience a bit of it. And quite an experience it was.

The Woman in Black is a play I've been wanting to see for a good few years now, and with the movie adaptation soon to be showing its face the feeling of urgency was growing. So with our 2-for-1 tickets in hand we made our way down to Fortune Theatre (which, like most other theatres in London, is located just off Covent Garden).

I'll be honest; theatre is just about the one avenue through which I'd not experienced horror, and as we perched in our budget seats (not recommended for those who suffer from vertigo) I wasn't quite sure what to expect. How would fear be approached in this setting? In an age of silver screen exorcisms, serial killers and demons of various shapes and sizes, can the theatre rustle up a genuine scare?

Well, judging by all the screaming and jumping the next two hours contained, yes. Most definitely.

The Woman in Black begins as Arthur Kipps seeks professional help in retelling his story; the story of what happened to him when, as a junior solicitor, he was sent away to Eel Marsh House to examine the papers of the recently deceased Mrs. Drablow. In this way, it manages to become something of meta-theatre, but without the pretension that could so easily engender. Instead it manages to celebrate the art whilst retaining a self-deprecating air.

The cast consists almost solely of the aforementioned Mr. Kipps and his hired help - the two of them using little more than a couple of wooden chairs and a wicker crate to take us through the tale of terror. They bring to life the characters with charm and style. And with the addition of their prized "recorded sound", transport you into a world of gothic horror, treacherous swamps and creaky old mansions.

The show is now in its 23rd year at the West End, and it's easy to see why. It presents a traditional ghost story in a charming, frightening and utterly absorbing manner, and I couldn't recommend it more highly.