| It's
rare to find a real pearl amongst the swine of touring productions.
Many regional plays are so badly staged and acted that you can only
wonder why even more people haven't turned their backs on the theatre
and welcomed their DVDs.
A few
years ago, I happened upon what's now a cult classic - The Woman
in Black - and while I was sceptical that a ghost story could translate
to theatre, I was optimistic that it could break the mould of unfunny
farces and stone-cold romances and tragedies.
And,
by crikey, that mould was smashed to pieces and even now after having
seen the play several times, I still wonder at the magnificent script
and staging of Susan Hill's spooky classic.
For
those who haven't seen the WIB, now one of the longest running tour
productions in the country, here's the tale: ageing solicitor Arthur
Kipps (played by Paul Webster) goes to an actor (Damien Matthews)
and asks for help in getting something fairly mighty of his chest.
As
a young man Arthur endured a terrible, terrifying experience that
chilled his heart for life. Now feels he has to share his story
with his family and friends before he can exorcise the ghosts of
his past.
The
actor turns the tale of Arthur's winter visit to the gothic Eel
Marsh House, set on marsh-flats in the north east, and his brushes
with the deathly Woman in Black into a stage play, dragging the
audience into the heart of Arthur's terror.
Stephen
Mallatratt's adaptation is a work of genius and though it sounds
improbable, the cast of two bring the play to life in hair-raising
style, using just coats and a giant clothes hamper to bring the
story to life.
Lighting
and sound combined with Damien Matthews' stunning portrayal of the
young Arthur Kipps transport the audience straight into the horrifying
experience endured by the poor young lawyer both then and for the
rest of his life.
Sadly,
the cavernous theatre space at the Alex seemed to dissipate some
of the tension, particularly in the adrenalin-packed second half
of the play - some of the bigger surprises didn't seem to hit the
mark because the audience either couldn't hear or couldn't see.
Matters
were not helped either by a weak performance from Paul Webster,
who mumbled through many lines. He really should have left out his
attempts at accents too!
The
Woman in Black is a theatrical tour de force in the right setting
and with the right cast. Although we were provided with a decent
night's entertainment, I was able to sleep with the light off -
proof positive that it just missed the mark.
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