WHITE faced with black eyes and dressed in funereal black the Woman in Black has returned to terrify audiences at the Lowry until Saturday, March 25.
Robin Herford’s new production for PW Productions captures Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s novel with atmosphere, illusion and horror.
It’s about a lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who believes a curse has been cast on him and his family by a spectre, the Woman in Black. He employs a young actor to help him tell his tale and eradicate the fear he feels.
The result is a play within a play.
The two-strong cast features David Acton as the ageing Arthur Kipps and Matthew Spencer as the actor, who transforms into Kipps younger self.
David Acton skilfully plays other characters whilst Matthew Spencer becomes the young solicitor employed to finalise a deceased old lady’s affairs in a spooky old house which locals won’t go near.
The beauty of the production is that you never know what is going to happen next – and the ending is a complete surprise, or should I say, shock!
There are concerning events such as the rocking of a chair in an upstairs nursery, the sound of a horse and carriage sinking in mud, and the woman in black turning up unexpectedly.
You have to hand it to Kevin Sleep’s lighting and Gareth Owen’s sound for the genuine feeling of terror this production instils.
* The Woman in Black is at the Lowry until Saturday, March 25. Tickets are available from the Box Office on 0843 208 6000 and the website.
Star rating: * * *
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