Review: The Woman in Black – A Timeless Ghost Story That Still Haunts the Stage

*Press Invite - Theatre Royal Nottingham – Opening Night

There are ghost stories… and then there are ghost stories.

The kind that stay with you long after the lights come up and the theatre empties. The kind that tap into something in us - that human instinct to glance over our shoulder in the dark.

Last night at the Theatre Royal Nottingham, the touring production of The Woman in Black opened to a packed and noticeably jumpy audience.

Based on the novel by Susan Hill and adapted for the stage by Stephen Mallatratt, the play has become something of a theatrical legend. First staged in 1987, it went on to run in London’s West End for more than thirty years, making it one of the longest-running plays in theatre history.

The Woman in Black. - A Ghost Story Told Through Imagination

What makes The Woman in Black so powerful is its simplicity.

There are no elaborate sets. No cinematic special effects. Just two actors, clever lighting, haunting sound design and the audience’s imagination.

The story follows Arthur Kipps, a solicitor who becomes entangled in a terrifying haunting while settling the estate of a mysterious woman in the remote Eel Marsh House.

But rather than presenting the story directly, the play begins with Kipps attempting to recount his experiences on stage with the help of a young actor. What starts as an awkward rehearsal slowly transforms into something darker as the past begins to come alive.

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The cast features John Mackay as Arthur Kipps and Daniel Burke as the Actor, and the entire production rests on their shoulders.

Mackay gives Kipps a quiet sense of unease that gradually deepens into genuine fear. There’s something compelling about watching a character who clearly knows the horrors that lie ahead but feels compelled to relive them anyway.

Burke, meanwhile, provides moments of welcome humour early on, guiding both Kipps and the audience through the theatrical storytelling that frames the show.

Together they create an entire world using little more than a few props and a great deal of imagination.

The Art of the Perfect Scare

Of course, the real question is this:

Is it actually scary?

The answer is...

Of sorts.

But not in the modern horror sense of gore or shock for the sake of it. Instead, the play builds tension slowly to create an atmosphere of creeping dread.

Then suddenly…

A scream. The audience jump in their seat.

And there's nervous laughter.

It's old-school horror, the kind that relies on suggestion rather than spectacle.

Why This Story Still Works

Ghost stories have always been part of human storytelling, long before cinema or television. They exist in folklore, theatre and tales around camp fires. The Woman in Black taps into that tradition perfectly.

There is something deeply Gothic about the story: a lonely house, a tragic past, and a ghost driven by grief and vengeance.

For someone like me, who has always been fascinated by the paranormal, folklore and the darker side of storytelling, it felt like stepping into a classic Victorian ghost tale.

It also proves that the most powerful horror is the kind that lets your imagination do the work.

A Few Small Criticisms

No production is completely perfect, and there are moments where the pacing feels a little slow, particularly in the early parts as the rehearsal framing is established.

If you’re expecting a fast-moving horror story, the deliberate build-up might feel slightly drawn out.

But that slow burn is exactly what makes the later moments so effective.

Because by the time the real terror arrives… you’re completely invested.

A Night of Proper Gothic Theatre

It’s rare for a production with such minimal staging to create such a powerful emotional response.

But The Woman in Black manages it.

More than three decades after its original premiere, it remains a masterclass in storytelling, suspense and theatrical imagination.

And you may find yourself walking home afterwards wondering…

…whether someone is following just a little too closely in the shadows.

The Woman in Black runs at The Theatre Royal Nottingham until 14th March. Book your tickets here

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