Never mind the hammy Daniel Radcliffe movie, Stephen Mallatratt’s stage adaptation of the story by Susan Hill is, as the Daily Telegraph puts it, ‘the most brilliantly effective spine-chiller you will ever encounter.’
Called out to a remote rural community to attend the funeral of a client, junior solicitor Arthur Kipps glimpses the figure of a pale woman dressed all in black. Examining his deceased client’s papers at her desolate mansion, he – along with the audience – encounters strange, disturbing noises until he finally comes to understand the terrible plight of the woman in black.
Just two actors play out the intense story against a minimalist set, while rumbling audio and lighting is used to spectacular effect to evoke wild, windy landscapes and the cloying claustrophobia of the malevolent, seemingly empty old house. The show is now in its 25th year and runs in Cambridge from 16 to 21 March. Starts 7.45pm (2.30pm Thur & Sat matinee) and tickets £15-£30.
