The Woman in Black is one of the most famous plays in the UK. It’s a great show, full of suspense, atmosphere, and clever staging. Here’s my The Woman in Black theatre review.
Overview of The Woman in Black on stage
The Woman in Black on stage follows the story of the novel by Susan Hill. My The Woman in Black theatre review will first give a quick plot synopsis, before talking about what I liked and what I wasn’t so sure about. I found it helpful to go into the show with a rough understanding of the plot. I felt like it helped me focus on the atmosphere of the play, instead of focussing on working out the plot. So I found reading a plot synopsis before I went helpful. But beware that the plot synopsis will give some spoilers!
Plot synopsis of The Woman in Black on stage
The Woman in Black on stage follows the story of Arthur Kipps, a solicitor. He’s written an account of a troubling story from his past, and he’s hired an actor to help him tell this story to an audience. The actor first tries to give Kipps notes on how perform the story better, before deciding that the Actor should play the younger version of Mr Kipps. Kipps then plays all of the other characters in his story.
Together, they reconstruct the events surrounding a legal case that sent the young Kipps to the remote Eel Marsh House to settle the estate of the recently deceased Mrs Drablow.
In the reconstructed story, the young Kipps travels to the market town of Crythin Gifford. Locals react uneasily to the mention of Mrs Drablow and Eel Marsh House. At her funeral, he notices a solitary woman dressed in black, whom no one else will discuss. Despite the villagers’ reluctance, Kipps proceeds to the isolated house. The isolated house is accessible only by a causeway that becomes impassable at high tide.
At the house, Kipps begins sorting through papers he finds. However, while sorting through papers, he encounters unexplained sounds, a locked nursery, and repeated sightings of ‘the woman in black’.
Discovering who the ‘woman in black’ is
Through Mrs Drablow’s documents, Kipps learns of her sister Jennet Humfrye, who bore a child out of wedlock. The child was adopted by Mrs Drablow, but Jennet struggled to stay away, and ended up planning to take the child herself. However, just before Jennet could take the child, the child died in a pony‑trap accident on the marsh. Jennet blamed her sister, and soon afterwards died. She became the ghost-like figure Kipps has been seeing. Local accounts suggest that whenever the ‘woman in black’ is seen, a child subsequently dies. Kipps struggles with the terror, and is rescued from the creepy house to go back home.
At the end of the play, the narrative returns to the present as Kipps completes his retelling. The Actor praises the story’s structure. But Kipps reveals that the woman in black’s influence extended beyond Eel Marsh House. After his return to London, he saw the ghostly ‘Woman in Black’ again shortly before a fatal accident involving his wife and child. The play ends with the implication that the haunting persists – as the Actor mentions having seen a ‘woman in black’ in the theatre as they’ve been performing the play.
What I liked about The Woman in Black
I really enjoyed seeing the play of the The Woman in Black on stage. It was a great show, with a lot of good elements.
The acting in the show
I thought the acting in The Woman in Black on stage was excellent. With only two actors on stage (plus a third actor playing the Woman in Black – although obviously with no dialogue), it’s definitely important for the acting to be good. And I thought the two actors who delivered all of the dialogue and plot were excellent.
The older actor was particularly good. It was funny when the play first started, as he was very ‘badly’ reading out loud his story – acting very badly, with the younger Actor giving directions. It must be difficult for a good actor to act like a bad actor, but he pulled it off well. His range was excellent – from a ‘bad’ actor, to then playing all of the other characters in the story. His performance of the taciturn carriage driver, with a heavy Northern accent, was particularly good.
The good acting meant that it was clear in the show when it jumped from play rehearsal to the actual re-enactment of the story. It’s something that easily could have been confusing for an audience to work out if they were in the present, or in the story re-telling. But I found the actors managed to make it clear when they were jumping between the two timeframes, which was good.
The set and props of The Woman in Black
I thought the set of The Woman in Black worked really well as well. In many ways, the set isn’t particularly elaborate. There aren’t many, if any, big scene changes or lots of props. And there aren’t many big costume changes either – beyond one of the actors putting on a coat or scarf. But despite this, they manage to convey a wide range of scenes and settings really well.
It was amazing how the show managed to convey the creepy, isolated house in the theatre. Without much change of scene, and just a few lighting changes, they managed to really make you see and believe that they were in a creepy old house.
The show also did a great job of making the audience ‘see’ other things as well – like the dog, that obviously wasn’t a real dog on stage. But it felt believable, like you could ‘see’ the dog just by the way the actors were talking to it and following it’s movements around the stage. Even though obviously nothing was there. The horse and carriage was good as well. Obviously there were no real horses, but with just some simple soundtrack and swaying movement from the actors, you could believe they were in the carriage.
The set wasn’t particularly interactive, but there were a few moments where things would suddenly happen, which added to the scary atmosphere. The ‘locked’ nursery door, that suddenly flew open, made everyone in the theatre jump. It was really creepy how the first time Kipps went into the nursery, behind the semi-transparent curtain, it was all neat and tidy – like it was still being used. But the next time, it was a dishevelled mess – completely inexplicably, given Kipps was apparently alone in the house.
There was good use of smoke in one scene, to completely obscure the set – so you didn’t know what was going to appear. And another scene, where Kipps is holding a candle, and you just see a shadow of a huge hand on the curtain behind him.
And of course, the iconic rocking chair, that was rocking even though there was apparently no one else in the house. That was really scary, and it’s one of the most iconic scenes and themes from the show.
The sound effects in the theatre
The show used sound effects in the theatre really well to help tell the story, and create atmosphere. The soundtrack of the horse and carriage worked really well to help the audience believe that they were travelling in an actual horse and carriage.
The rocking chair noise was iconic as well. The sound of the rocking chair seemed to come from different areas of the theatre at different times – almost like it was moving. It was something that’s quite simple, but really effective.
The noise of the ghostly carriage crash and scream was really effective as well. Kipps hears the ghostly noise of the accident in the past that killed Jennet’s child. And it’s a really chilling, effective noise.
And the noise of the lullaby from the music box in the nursery was a really chilling, creepy noise as well. The first time we hear it, when Kipps first discovers the nursery and opens the music box, was really tense. The whole theatre was completely silent, with just the gentle lullaby tune playing. And then later in the show, we heard the lullaby music again – even though the nursery was apparently empty at this time. It’s amazing how just a simple lullaby from a music box could create so much atmosphere and tension, and sound so creepy in a silent theatre.
The creation of a scary atmosphere on stage – and the jump scares
The Woman in Black on stage is one of the best plays I’ve seen at creating a scary atmosphere on stage. The show gradually built tension, until you were on the edge of your seat, just waiting for the next thing that was going to make you jump.
The ‘woman in black’ had a great first entrance. She crept along the side aisle of the theatre, then across to the steps at the front of the stage. I was sat in the front row, and got such a fright when I suddenly noticed her right in front of me. I hadn’t noticed her creeping along the side until she was right next to me, and it definitely made me jump.
There were other moments as well that really made me jump. The nursery door flying open was one of those moments. And a time when the ‘woman in black’ suddenly appeared next to Kipps when he was sat down. There was clever use of lighting on the stage, so you didn’t notice her walk over. She just suddenly appeared, and you could really see her ghostly white face. There was a second time that she suddenly appeared as well, with her arms raised, and a silent, creepy scream on her face.
At the performance I went to see, there were lots of school teenagers in the theatre. There were some big screams from a lot of them, especially at the jump scare moments – that just seemed to build throughout the show. The screams from the audience actually added to the atmosphere quite well. I can definitely see that it’s a good play for theatre/drama students to see, with how it manages to create atmosphere and tension and transport you to a different place, just on a simple stage.
What I wasn’t so sure about
I really enjoyed seeing The Woman in Black on stage. It was an atmospheric and scary play, with good acting.
I first saw The Woman in Black on stage about 10 years ago, when it was on in London. But strangely, I have very few memories from that show. I remember enjoying it, but I don’t remember loving it. And not much of the show stuck in my memory years afterwards. When I went to see the show again more recently, it felt like seeing it for the first time. The only thing I remember from the London show was the rocking chair. And I’m sure it was a plain, dark, wooden rocking chair in London, whereas the 2026 tour had a red cushioned rocking chair.
But it’s weird that I don’t remember much from the London show. Maybe I was sat too far away from the stage in London for it to have the best effect. I don’t know. But it will be interesting to see if it will feel more memorable having seen it a second time – and whether I’ll remember this version better in a few years’ time.
I do remember the final scene from London. The lights faded to black, and there was a spotlight on the rocking chair, moving on its own. However, this performance didn’t have quite such an iconic ending. The lights faded to black, and we heard the rocking chair sound effect. But we didn’t see it moving. It’s not a big thing, but it’s a shame they didn’t do the iconic ending in quite the same way.
Would I recommend The Woman in Black on stage
Overall, I enjoyed seeing The Woman in Black on stage. The acting was great. And it’s a really clever piece of theatre. With just two actors, and some fairly basic set and sound effects, they manage to completely transport the audience to the creepy manor house and the world of the ‘woman in black’. I was on the edge of my seat, enjoying the atmosphere and the tension, just waiting for the next jump scare. It was a great show, with a creepy ending – with the young Actor also seeing the ‘woman in black’. I hope I remember it a lot better the second time around.
Hope you enjoyed my The Woman in Black theatre review! Check out my other theatre reviews for more shows in the West End, across the UK and the world.
