Woman in Black

There is a saying that less is more and that’s exactly how it proved to be at Norwich’s Theatre Royal for the opening night of ghostly thriller, The Woman in Black.

It might have been a cold February evening outside, but that was nothing compared to the chill inside as the terrifying tale unfolded in front of our eyes – and imaginations.

The Robin Hereford-directed production, adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the novel by Susan Hill, featured a cast of just two, but both kept the audience enthralled from the start until the very end.

Arthur Kipps, the lawyer who calls on a young actor to tell his terrifying story and exorcise the demons which haunt him to this day, was played by Julian Forsyth, who masterfully portrayed a montage of characters from the nerve-shredding plot.

Then there was the actor, Antony Eden, whose boundless enthusiasm transported us all on a journey –whether we wanted to go or not – into the darkest depths of our own imaginations. This was a stripped back production with the backdrop of a refreshingly simple set where it was the narrative – the spoken word – and the story which were the real stars and not stunt or song.

However, that is not to say that it was a performance short of the odd trick or two to externally visualise the terror our minds had imagined.

There were certainly scream-out- loud moments to ensure the heart raced even for those, who like myself, claim not to be of a nervous disposition. It was a simple but smart and stylish scary story.

The production runs until Saturday.For tickets call 01603 630000.

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