The Woman in Black - Nottingham Review

Review by Sarah

Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review.

Having never been a lover of horror stories, and with my only knowledge of The Woman in Black coming from a GCSE drama text, I assumed I would be entering a theatre full of a large cast, complex staging and extravagant costumes. I couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Daniel Burke (The Actor). Photo by Mark Douet

As I walked in, the stage was deceptively simple: a wicker basket, a couple of chairs, and drab-coloured drapes laid across the floor. Flicking through the programme, I discovered there were only two actors credited—albeit highly accomplished performers. I found myself wondering how I would survive the evening. Yet, this play, adapted for the stage by Stephen Mallatratt from Susan Hill’s 1983 novel, is one of the longest-running non-musical dramas in the West End, second only to The Mousetrap. Surely there must be something magical keeping audiences coming back.

The story introduces Arthur Kipps, a man haunted by his experiences as a junior solicitor, sent to Eel Marsh House to settle the affairs of the late Mrs. Alice Drablow and locate important documents left in the manor. Isolated by a long, narrow causeway impassable at high tide and met with resistance from the local townsfolk, it is no surprise when, at Mrs. Drablow’s funeral, he glimpses a mysterious woman dressed in black—an apparition no one else sees. From there, the play delivers escalating terror, marked by shrieks from the audience at further sightings of The Woman in Black.

Determined to exorcise the memories of his youthful horrors, Arthur plans to recount his story. Lacking confidence as a storyteller, he enlists an actor to help him. Daniel Burke, as The Actor, holds the stage effortlessly, guiding us through Arthur’s train journey to Eel Marsh House and into the chilling events that unfold there. John Mackay’s performance is equally remarkable; he inhabits multiple characters with astonishing versatility. With minimal props, subtle stage entrances and exits, and nuanced vocal shifts, he breathes life into every role.

Russian director Meyerhold once said, “There is a fourth creator in addition to the author, the director, the actor—namely, the spectator…From the friction between the actor’s creativity and the spectator’s imagination, a clear flame is kindled.” This production exemplifies that idea. The stripped-back staging encourages audience imagination, transforming a simple wicker basket into a train, desk, bed, and even a pony and trap.

John Mackay (Arthur Kipps) and Daniel Burke (The Actor). Photo by Mark Douet

The production also relies heavily on the outstanding lighting design by Kevin Sleep and the sound design by Rod Mead and Sebastian Frost. At one moment, the eerie sound of wind had me genuinely on edge. The interplay of dimmed lights, spotlights, blinding torchlight, and periods of stark darkness expertly manipulates tension and anticipation, making the horror feel immediate and captivating.

A final surprising ‘surprise’ left us mulling over the events we had witnessed, enough horror to keep me on the edge of my seat, although not quite enough to inspire nightmares. The film, I’ve heard, is a whole other experience.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Woman in Black plays at Nottingham's Theatre Royal until Saturday 14th March 2026. Tickets are available from https://trch.co.uk/

The play continues on tour until Saturday 25th April 2026. For dates and venues visit https://thewomaninblack.com/tour-dates

Daniel Burke (The Actor) and John Mackay (Arthur Kipps). Photo by Mark Douet