"I was intrigued by the concept and staging. My husband enjoyed the acting. My son was a bit bored with plays within plays. as I was not able to explain what the plot was when he asked. I hadn't realized from the synopsis that I'd read that the set up was another play within a play. In spite of the double play I think he enjoyed it, and I know both he and my husband got a huge kick out of how high I jumped during those couple of surprising turns."
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As a part of studying AS Theatre Studies (a U.K. examination for 17 year old students) we have to see several live productions. As a class we went to see The Woman In Black and I have to admit we were all rather skeptical when we read reviews on how the audience screamed with terror. 

However these reviews were certainly correct; as someone who is not easily scared it certainly had me screaming with fright!

This play was absolutely brilliant and 7 months after first seeing it everyone in my class can remember ever part in graphic detail. I just thought that these comments might inspire others to go see this spectacular play. 
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I have seen "Woman In Black" twice, and still find the play as spine tingling as ever!

My school went on a trip to the Fortune Theatre to see it on Wednesday 10th July and to our teachers amusement none of us could bear to walk down the street without screaming!

One thing which was annoying was the speed of the play at the beginning, my teachers felt that the play could move more fluently at the start.

All in all my school enjoyed this play and we are all recommending our families to go!
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Wow!

I was going to leave it at just that one word, but i couldn't resist adding more! I went to see it with my school, and I can honestly say the whole audience was blown away. 

The acting was superb, and the set, and the storyline had so many twists and turns, that you didn't know where you were half of the time. Currently in the West End, Timothy Watson and Robert Demenger play, both extremely talented men. 

Upon returning for a second visit I was still equally as shocked, and moved! Everyone simply has to see this play!!! Just one word of advice, watch out in the stalls!!!

Danielle Klentzeris, 
Cardiff.
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The scariest time of your life, that is IF you live through it!!!

Like Wow!!! I totally agree with Danielle.

This production seriously comes back to haunt you when you're ever left in the dark or ever hear that haunting melody: Swan Lake. OR even worse hearing the thud, thud, thud freaks you out!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Louisa Wilkes, 
Cardiff/Hollywood.
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I went to see the show last night and it was absolutely amazing!!! Even after reading the reviews on this page, describing audiences screaming in terror, I believed it couldn't actually be that scary, but believe me it was! It is an absolute must, thinking about it now, makes me shudder! Fantastic!

Holly Tate
Surrey

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It was amazing. 

Like so many others I went to see it with my school. My teachers take GCSE drama in year11 every year. Those in the year above said how scary it was, and we all thought, "yeah right how is the theatre scary". But it so was! Everyone was screaming and jumping out of their seats. It was extremely cleverly done and everyone really enjoyed it. Definitely worth going to see. It was fantastic.
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All reviews of this play follow a strict cliché whereby the reviewer expresses their cynicism prior to the performance, contrasted with their terror during, and surprise after the show. And who am I to break with such traditions?

I went in to the Fortune Theatre expecting an afternoon of entertainment rather than to be frightened. I had always assumed that in the thriller genre, theatre would, by nature play second-fiddle to film. However, I was wrong. The show is so edgy, so tense as to be entertaining only in hindsight. 

The first half comprises a semi-gothic, even half-comic melodrama designed to strip away any mental preparation the audience may have made for the shows horrors which come with tremendous force after the interval. 

The second half is spent firmly gripping the armrests in anticipation of the next burst of unbridled terror accompanied by a nausea-inducing flood of adrenaline. Whilst the actual shocks last no more than a few seconds in total, the suspense is so carefully managed as to leave you wanting to escape from the theatre for at least 45 mins.

Imagine the scariest theatrical production you could ever imagine, multiply this by a gripping horror film and add a night you have spent alone wishing it was morning. This  concoction of utter horror still cannot come close to the pure theatrical genius of the Woman in Black. (and this is pure theatre of the sort that could never be captured ones film).

One warning - You'll be sleeping with the light on and running away from shadows for months afterwards. Best to go for a matinee so you don't emerge onto a Dark Russell Street to torment you further!

Only sit in the stalls if you are of extremely sound mind. Here the terror is most intense.

William Cooper
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My weekend started with seeing "Our House" on the Friday. Returning to London on the Saturday for a day out, we went to the TKTS office to see what shows would be on offer for the evening and so we got 2 tickets for this play. 

I've always been more of musical person that plays when I'm paying out £20+ for a ticket but at £18 each and the fact that I'd seen a musical already this weekend, along with the fact that my girlfriend had said before she wanted to see this, we got the tickets and thought we would see what it was like.

Seated in a very small theatre (it used to be a church on this site many years ago, so maybe it has its real ghost !!!) as we went to our seats we knew we were in the show well almost with seats this close to the stage. No seat is every far away. My seat in D1 was just a little restricted in the fact of seeing the far side of the stage but this did not spoil it all.

It starts maybe a little slow but that's all part of the story and how its told, and what makes the outcome ..... well if you go and see it you will understand.

Anyway the basics, there are two men on stage and they take you thought the story of the Island and the Woman in Black , if you are seated in the stalls you see more that you would in the circle due to what happens in the stalls...that I won't say now! And well it can spook you, I don't get spooked by horrors etc but my girlfriend does and she was just a little jumpy.

There's a few twists and I think this is a play that could get "musical preference" people like me to see other plays. Normally the only time I would see a play was if it was a comedy.

It's been running in London for many years now; go see it - its worth a view and the TKTS office often had tickets for it.

Alun Moss. 
Basildon, Essex

Saturday 14th June, Evening performance. 
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I last saw this play about 3 or 4 years ago, and have booked to go see it again next week (July 03) for the 6th time, and can't wait! 

It is simply a delicious, juicy night of chills and jumps! It is brilliantly devised, with two actors re-telling a story, and I love the bit where the 'actor' tells the 'student', 
"I'll play you, and you play all the other characters" 
or words to that effect. 

With just brilliant acting, great use of props, lighting and dry ice etc, and sound effects that just make you believe you're "there", the entire event is totally satisfying. You will want to go back with a friend, not, as another reviewer put it, for moral support, but more, I suspect, to take wicked pleasure at seeing them jump and grip the seat, or even your arm! And the theatre itself is just so beautifully spooky when you enter first! 

If you are any way unsure about going to see a play instead of a musical, then this is the one to go to. Even on my 5th visit I jumped, as I had forgotten some of the scary bits. Enjoy it!!!!!

KC, 
Ireland
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I'm sorry, I thought "Woman In Black" really sucked. It was too predictable. The creaking chairs made the sound effects useless, and what was even worse was that at school I had to put up with several days of people going on about it. 

he acting was good, however sometimes Pip Donaghy went a little overboard.

Shanta Kumar 

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"It was 9:30 on a Christmas Eve..... I walked down the long hallway....

This was a most wonderful production and the ending was a thrill, we are going back in November 2003 and taking my 14 year old niece and we plan on taking her to this play....

FOLLOWING THAT SECOND VISIT!

.... I did take my 14 year old niece to the play and she really loved it, it's a thriller but not really scary - I saw about three years ago and really wanted to see it again.p> You can almost always get tickets at the TKTS half price booth we had seats in 5th row Upper Circle, the seats are rather small with no leg room but otherwise OK.

They have different actors than when I saw it before but I still really enjoyed the production and since I had forgotten a few things I still jumped a few times when I heard the SCREAM and when the door opened.

Kathy Sutter
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Yes, this is a thrilling and well done performance which is as good as many other (but "sexed up") productions in the West End. The two actors succeed in thrilling even (first giggling) school classes in matinees within 20 minutes.
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I agree with all of you!

I went to see it with my GCSE (an English school examination for those aged 16) drama group set 1 and set 2. I've heard from my teachers who have seen it before that it was scary but it didn't really sink in, until I got to the theatre. 

Even outside before the show I was scared. Overall, it was the most spine-chilling most amazing play ever! I HIGHLY recommend EVERYONE to go and see it... PLEASE go and see it!!

Ashleigh Barretto
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Sat in box - lovely! But speakers are in your ears.

Lots of loud noises at unexpected moments, although gripping story, and well acted by the three cast members.

Woman seems to be Michael Jackson.

"Woman In Black" pulls in the screams and gives a shiver - yes, but as soon as it finishes (very well) it loses all its magic.

See it if you want a scream, and by all means it is a good production (in a hideous theatre) but think very carefully, there are far better things on.

Alf
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Saw this show last night (13th March 2004) and was amazed.  This show had us riveted to our seats (apart from the screams when I must have jumped about a foot each time).  We couldn't wait for the interval to end to find out what happened next. 

We sat in Row K in the stalls and had a great view.  We got the tickets from a ticket booth recommended by Theatre Monkey and paid just £22 each no booking fees it was definitely good value for money.

Five stars for this show would recommend it to anybody.

S Allum
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Well...

I was absolutely terrified! Loved the show, hated having to walk home and hated waking up at 2.30am seeing her white withered face floating around my room but never mind!!!

Only problem was the loud tourists (I won't say where they were from) constantly moving around and leaning forward throughout. Thankfully they were shut up accordingly the moment things turned freaky-deaky!!!

Mark
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For those who like a good scare, horror movies and camp fire ghost stories "Woman in Black" will bring the experience to a whole new level...by inviting the object of your fear into the room with you! 

The show is deeply terrifying but also incredibly gripping and well written. I believe the play itself is captivating even without the scare factor. 

The atmosphere of this ghost story is added to by your surroundings in the ageing Fortune Theatre and by the intimacy of the performance due to the small stage and auditorium. With a combination of that and strong acting from a 2 man cast it isn't long before you are drawn in and feel like you are part of the performance, which is convenient because it seems that it takes just as long for the story to become terribly dark and disturbing. 

This show doesn't rely at all on sudden mood changes or loud jumpy snippets of action (although there are some shocking moments) but tension, intriguing, yet, chilling script and the art of good old fashioned story telling... with a twist. 

Even if you aren't the ghost story type it's definitely worth seeing, though not for the faint of heart! Out of the 20 college friends I went with to see this show first time around 5 still claim to have nightmares about it while the other 15 came away dying to seeing it again... and most of us did. 

Some of the atmosphere can be lost with the touring production due to location, so I recommend you see it in London... I will definitely be going again! 

TwistedPixie
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(from the Nottingham Touring production)

A truly terrifying thriller.

We saw this production in Nottingham as part of our GCSE (an English, Welsh and Northern Irish national school examination taken at 16) course. We will be using this production in our exam.

Within the opening few minutes of the play, the audience is 'indirectly spooked' in preparation for what is about to happen. Throughout the whole play the audience is bother scared and gripped to the amazing story.

This play features just two cast members (and a ghost) and uses a minimal set (a technique similar to that of Brechtian).

As soon as the audience sees the spectres face, they acquire the impression that she is staring at them individually as they experience the dreadfulness of her expression.

The play also uses all the doors in the auditorium for a full 3D effect. The Woman makes her first appearance at a child's funeral. A child she has a strong connection with...

See this play? YES
Sleep at night afterwards? NO
Highly recommended thriller with a slight edge of dark humour. Just don't walk the streets alone, or buy a rocking chair after seeing this...
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Saw "Woman In Black" on Saturday 15th May 2004. Fantastic! Saw it 10 years ago - forgotten how good it was! The spooky atmosphere "made the flesh creep" ( - as my partner put it!) added to by the screams from the audience - I didn't know whether to scream along or laugh! Poor seats though - row A upper circle -
the safety bar was a real hindrance to a good view. This is one show where they really should ban the eating of goodies with noisy wrappers - the rustling really interrupts and spoils the building of tension which is paramount to the production's success.
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(from the Torques Touring production)

OH MY GOD!

I saw this show in London about two years ago and got NO sleep WHAT SO EVER for two nights (and very little for weeks after that!). It is the scariest thing you could ever ever ever see! I was astounded.

I was with my school for a week during “project week” it was all we talked about for days afterward. Then I went back to school and other people, who hadn’t seen it, couldn’t believe that a person could be so morbidly afraid by a mere theatre show as opposed to, say, a movie! I TRIED my VERY VERY best to persuade them that in many respects it is WORSE in a theatre because you are THERE. You are DIRECTLY involved with it…it is LIVE! But none believed me…

...SO imagine my JOYOUS SURPRISE when the self same play (featuring the understudies from the London show) came to TORQUES…a mere trip down the road. Now, none of the friends I wanted to take do drama at GCSE - and neither do I - but we managed to blag a bus ride to the show with the drama group…needless to say my friends who thought they’d find it laughable where totally scared out of their wits…as the "Daily Express" says: "it is a truly nerve-shredding experience….GO AND SEE IT!!!"

Also PLEASE visit my site www.freewebs.com/sammy_pile as there will soon be writing about the show and a link to the official website!!!!!!!!
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What an absolutely fantastic experience. Got half price tickets in row J and was not disappointed.

It's all so well played that you forget it's just two actors, playing actors (it all makes sense when you see the show, honest). This is all happening in front of you. It's not a play. It's real.

There IS a causeway. There IS a pony and trap, There IS a dog. And there IS a Woman in Black.

The first half slowly draws you in. You think it'll all be okay. Apart from a couple of frights, it's not been too bad an experience.

But by halfway through the second half you are too scared to watch anymore. You want the lights to come on and for you to be able to go home. You want to be safe in your bed. Lock all the doors and windows and you'll be okay. 

But unfortunately that doesn't happen and things just get worse and worse, until you no longer want to go home. You're too scared to go home.

She'll be there. Her eyes staring. Staring right through into your very soul.  

Mummy help!!

Tim Holloway
Norfolk
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How this production has lasted 16 years on the West End is simply incomprehensible. It is difficult to decide what disappoints most throughout, what really does feel like, the two hours it lasts.

An entirely visually uninspiring grey backdrop opens the play, which looks untouched since opening night in 1989, and is revived only somewhat by the silkscreen effect during the second half at ‘Eel Marsh House’. The stage direction is no better; at one point the movement of the protagonists from a street scene to an office is signified by a contrived series of movements across the stage, as might be expected only in a school play. 

In Act II, the method employed to instill terror in the audience is the repeated playing of dangerously loud screams, which does build anticipation. However this is only the anticipation felt of wanting to leave the theatre. 

This tourist aimed production is an unfortunate letdown, which hopefully is not associated too greatly with the real theatre that can be found in the West End. "The Woman in Black" could indeed be described as ‘ghastly’, but for all the wrong reasons.

Tom Brown,
London
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I saw "Women In Black" the other day as part of my drama G.C.S.E (a British school examination, taken at age 16),and it was great. I heard stories about being scary, but trying to be macho I decided to sit near the aisle, big mistake, the whole macho idea went out the window and I found myself jumping out of my seat but unlike a horror movie you can't pause it or hide behind a pillow, it's like you're in the horror movie, the two lead actors were fantastic and the way they used the prop basket for a number of things was very effective.

A brilliant show which I would love to see again to scare the pants off me people! But next time I might bring a pillow.
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I went on 2 November 2005 at 8pm. Stalls Row B seats 11/12. Nice seats and view. Plenty of leg room. Just our luck we choose one day out of an 18 year run when the theatre seemed to be over run with feral teenagers on a school trip, though.

Furthermore, the play was so dull it encouraged them to heckle continuously 'this isn't scary' etc, etc - all the way through.

I will admit, all the reviews I read beforehand, including plenty on this site, did lead me to believe it would be a chilling nail biter. No doubt the teens were also expecting something more. However, it was about as scary as a ghost train. With The Woman in Black looking like she'd be more at home haunting the fairground on Scooby Doo.

Very poor.

KJ Hailes
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The play was freaking scary!!!! My heart was pounding by the end. Scary stuff.

You are dead right about Upper Circle Row A. We sat in A13 and A14, and I had to watch the first half through the gap in the safety rail. Legroom was ok for me, but I'm 5 foot; it was cramped for my taller friend.

We moved to the Dress Circle box at the interval, and though views to the sides were limited we had a much better view, much closer to the stage, and plenty of room to stretch out.
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This play is absolutely brilliant. A spine tingling story with excellent acting, from beginning to end, it exudes imaginative flare and is simply unforgettable! I even scared myself witless the night after, just thinking about it! The story is very cleverly portrayed using only a few props. It’s a very riveting production and I was certainly immersed in it right till the scary end!

Definitely not to be missed.

Abhi
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We went on 9th August 2006. I never thought I would be interested in a show with just two characters and hardly any scenery, but I was engrossed for the whole time, and would definitely recommend it to anyone. But as other reviews have said there are some "scary" moments which will make you jump, so if your of a "nervous disposition" then maybe give it a miss.

Now for the theatre. We took up one of these "Theatre and Meal" deals from Lastminute.com. Okay, so not bad for £20 for the ticket and the meal - but this was the first time we had tried this out, and I think I would pay the extra to sit where I want - but that's me !

"The Woman in Black" was paired with "Rock Garden" in Covent Garden, choice of two courses, i.e. either a "starter and Main" or "Main and dessert," from a set menu. They did try and "up sell" the drinks as these were extra, trying very hard to sell my wife a glass of Criquet for £10 a glass. Apart form that it was fine.

We were given C7 and C8 in the Upper Circle. Good view as the theatre is not that high, though there was a couple of sequences that were at the very very front of the stage which we could not see. Legroom was a bit cramped and I am not even that tall.

Bar prices reasonable and all and all value for money and a great show !!
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I was sat in the Stalls, row G (seat 10) in fact, to watch this play and the view of the stage was very good. Also, there was plenty of leg room in the seats so having to endure aching legs whilst watching the play.

I cannot think of enough words to show how much I enjoyed "The Woman In Black", the most impressive aspect is that you don't really realise that the cast consists of two central characters.

I loved the way that humour was used at the start to draw the audience in, then as the play continued the suspense increased until you wondered what was going to happen next.

Paul Shelley and Damien Matthews deserve a huge pat on the back for their excellent performances as Arthur Kipps and the Actor.

A must see if you like suspense ... just take a friend if you are especially nervous !!
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