Just hearing the title The Woman in Black should send a shiver down your spine, if you haven’t seen it, you’ve heard of it. This classic gothic scary tale returns to the Theatre Royal this week and as the ghostly projection outside the theatre testifies: they haven’t stopped giving us chilling tales yet. And this, seen by eight million people worldwide, is perhaps the quintessential and well known jump scare horror there is.
The story of the pale wasted woman all in black, the eery Eel Marsh House, the quicksand marshes and sea mists that swirl and catch you from out of a clear sky: all gorgeous ingredients to the best jump scare horror you are likely to find on a stage. The tension mounts, we hold our breath, something unexpected happens, and so many of us jump out of our skin. It’s quite simply deliciously done.
Yet didn’t this tour recently we hear you wonder, last year? So, has much changed? The answer is a resounding yes. This is a far richer and more chilling design with increased range in soundscaping, lighting design and incredibly fast mists which makes a huge impact on telling the ghost story. There is an increased use of shadows which is very welcome. The basic threads of the story are the same of course, including the fabulously imaginative way it’s told, allowing us to add our own imaginations to what we see. Which of course makes the whole production more impactful.
And yet more than that, the focus is on telling the story, rather than playing it for laughs: which was the overwhelming jarring reaction to the 2024 version, which you can read here. Of course there are still lighter moments in the show and we still laugh appropriately, but it no longer feels like a bucket of water has been thrown on us to spoil the mounting tension of the creative way the story is being told. The first act is quite simply some of the best tension mounting sequences ever seen on a stage, where absolutely everything works to the highest level possible.
The second act however doesn’t follow through as expected or seek to build the tension further and the moment at the end could be held so much longer than it currently is: we all hold our breath waiting. It’s still super, and better than last year, but the promise of the first act sets expectations which don’t quite get realised.
The two actors: John Mackay and Daniel Burke are stormingly good: exquisite characterisation and connection with the material, each other, and the audience. They are an utter joy to watch as they tell the story, their energy and physicality changing, filling the stage with other characters in the village, and a dog who we completely believe is there. If you are looking for imaginative and creative theatre, compellingly told, with stunning acting, and perhaps something a little chilling for a cold winter’s night: this is definitely for you.
Theatre Royal Brighton, 19 November 2025
The Woman in Black runs until 22 November 2025
Photos credit: Mark Douet
