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Review: The Woman in Black at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury

It has just two actors, few props and a basic set, but The Woman in Black is a masterclass in the less-is-more approach to scaring the bejesus out of a crowd.

Stephen Mallatratt's adaptation of Susan Hill's chilling novel hit the Marlowe Theatre stage this week to collective screams and gasps from the audience.

The ghostly tale follows Arthur Kipps, a lawyer haunted by the figure of a woman in black, who hires an actor to bring his harrowing memories to life.

The Woman in Black
The Woman in Black

As the pair delve deeper into Kipps' experiences, they are forced to confront a frightening world in which a malevolent spectre moves in the shadows and things go bump in the night.

As with good ghost stories, there are familiar scenes - an eerie graveyard, a slamming door, a chair rocking of its own accord and ominous, misty landscapes.

But the most unsettling aspect of the play is the things you don't see.

After a night spent jumping at his own shadow in the creepy Eel Marsh House, Mr Kipps reassures himself: "There is nothing here to frighten or harm me, only emptiness."

It is this emptiness which allows the imagination to fill in the gaps.

With clever lighting, sound effects and sets, the production is an exercise in inventive stagecraft, which explains why there were so many school groups in the audience.

The Woman in Black is at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury
The Woman in Black is at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury

I watched it myself in the West End as a GCSE drama student 15 years ago, and it was just as impressive - and terrifying - the second time round.

Admittedly, the first half is a slow burner, but this gradually builds the tension and heightens the senses to the increasingly chilling events of the second half.

In an effort to tell the story effectively, The Actor, played by Matthew Spencer, implores David Acton's Mr Kipps not to bore his audience to sleep.

Rest assured, this nightmarish play-within-a-play ensures theatre-goers won't sleep for a week.

The Woman In Black is at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury until Saturday, with 2.30pm matinees on Thursday and Saturday.

For tickets from £16, call the box office on 01227 787787 or visit marlowetheatre.com.

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