For someone who has very recently seen the movie adaption of Susan Hills novel, before the play I didn’t quite know what to expect. I was wondering in an ERA of SFX that can be generated on screen, what can make a play scary. “Woman in Black” showed me exactly that.

Totally gripping from scene one wonderful performance by Adam Best as an hired actor who also plays younger Kipps as the older one recounts his Ghost experiences. Ken Dury – the older “Kipps” whose character is mellow and that of polite demeanor for the first few scenes surprises by playing multiple high energy characters as the play unfolds. The Fortune is probably one of the smallest theatres in London today & its intimacy helps creating the intended effect, of horror.

The narration is mostly flawless & you follow the journey of Arthur Kipps as he travels from London to El Marsh house and unfolds secrets of life of Alice Drablow & her sister Jannet Humfrye. Like I mentioned, I have seen the movie before the play & I couldn’t help but notice the improvisations in the script that movie has taken to make Daniel Radcliffe more desperate in Arthur Kipps situation.

Irrespective of my disbelief the woman in black did make me jump from my seat a couple of times when she made her appearances. The cursed woman and her affinity to take away children is sad and scary at the same time.

It doesn’t surprise me anymore as to, why the play that was originally meant to be‘filler’ has been going on for generations. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Ghost stories.

-Khushbu Doshi saw the play on this Tuesday the 21st