The Woman in Black
The Woman in Black
GreasedLightning
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/11/14
#1The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/27/20 at 11:56amHas anyone seen this? Curious to hear reports and couldnt find another thread on it.
#2The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/27/20 at 12:10pm
Saw it last week, I had seen the West End production fifteen years ago, and this was a very faithful transfer. It's a fun and immersive experience that I would recommend to just about anyone.
#3The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/27/20 at 12:27pm
Curious how this is staged considering the playing space is a bar, no? I saw the u.s. “tour” last year and I was friends with someone in the cast. I thought it was fantastic.
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Do they still not hand out the bio of the woman in black until the end of the show?
In our millions, in our billions, we are most powerful when we stand together. TW4C unwaveringly joins the worldwide masses, for we know our liberation is inseparably bound.
Signed,
Theater Workers for a Ceasefire
https://theaterworkersforaceasefire.com/statement
#4The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/27/20 at 12:41pm
Seeing a matinee of this in London with an audience of shrieking school kids on a field trip was SO much fun.
Jarethan
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/10/11
#5The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/27/20 at 4:36pm
This show is proof of how different London economics are for theatrical productions. I saw it no later than 1993 (I left the company that got me to London frequently in 3Q93) at a theatre that was no more than 25% filled. Sometimes, that emptiness can really detract from enjoyment of the performance (like eating in an empty restaurant); it wasn't problem, however, as the theatre (at least in London) was so dark that you could not tell if someone was sitting next to you. I remembered wondering whether it would be allowed to play in such incredible darkness in NYC.
Off point, however; know it is a show with little to no set, with a cast of only three people (or is it two), and has to be cheap to operate. Buy, in NYC nothing would succeed playing to 1/4 filled auditoriums, other than those cases where the producers refuse to use common sense and close. But, 27 years later, it is still running.
perfectliar
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/1/04
#6The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/27/20 at 4:54pm
"Sometimes, that emptiness can really detract from enjoyment of the performance (like eating in an empty restaurant)"
How does eating in an empty restaurant detract from enjoying a meal?
52889j
Featured Actor Joined: 12/8/15
#8The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/27/20 at 5:22pm
Jarethan said: "This show is proof of how different London economics are for theatrical productions. I saw it no later than 1993 (I left the company that got me to London frequently in 3Q93) at a theatre that was no more than 25% filled. Sometimes, that emptiness can really detract from enjoyment of the performance (like eating in an empty restaurant); it wasn't problem, however, as the theatre (at least in London) was so dark that you could not tell if someone was sitting next to you. I remembered wondering whether it would be allowed to play in such incredible darkness in NYC.
Off point, however; know it is a show with little tono set, with a cast of only three people (or is it two), and has to be cheap to operate. Buy, in NYC nothing would succeed playing to 1/4 filled auditoriums, other than those cases where the producers refuse to use common sense and close. But, 27 years later, it is still running.
"
For what it's worth, I saw the show in London only about 3 years ago on a Wednesday evening in February, and it was a reasonably full house (not sold out, probably, but not nearly empty enough to be distracting). Like TotallyEffed, the performance I attended had several student groups.
It's worth noting that in 1993, the show had only been running on the West End for 4 years. This is pure speculation, but I wonder if, by that point, the ticket sales slumped as a result of natural decline in initial interest, but then resurged once it had been running long enough to gain "icon" status. Nowadays, it's a staple of the West End, not unlike The Mousetrap. I don't know how logical it would have seemed at the time to keep the show running at a loss in the distant hope that it would eventually be come a West End icon. But that seems like 1 potential reason for why the show might have been doing better in 2017 than in 1993.
I'm glad this show is getting its NYC premier, and I bet it works well in that intimate space. I had some issues with what I found to be the hokey writing, but it sure was a fun experience.
Jarethan
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/10/11
#9The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/27/20 at 5:45pm
perfectliar said: ""Sometimes, that emptiness can really detract from enjoyment of the performance (like eating in an empty restaurant)"
How does eating in an empty restaurant detract from enjoying a meal?"
There is no vibe that you get with a crowded restaurant. I hate to eat at a pretty empty restaurant; ironically, service is frequently worse when empty.
ggersten
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/06
#10The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/27/20 at 7:05pmMy understanding is that the novel is part of many UK school curricula which is why there are so many school groups attending. Both of my visits have been evenings and sold out stalls.
SandyDee
Swing Joined: 7/27/19
#11The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/27/20 at 9:06pm
I saw it during one of the last preview days (January 17th), in seat A2 (so front row, inside aisle). I really loved the staging, it truly was immersive and I got sucked in super quickly. The earlier you get there, the more likely you are to be in the front (since it's not assigned seating unless you're with a larger party...or so I think, going off the seating chart). Mildly terrifying when you get a monologue directly in your eyes, but the closer the better. Plus if you get there early they have a drink menu with cocktails like the Woman in Black punch (mezcal and grape) and stirred drinks like the Mr. Kipps (gin and sauternes). I believe they've added food to the menu, but I only saw the bar menu (and complimentary water). There also is a coat check, but I had no experience with it.
A few downsides if you're sensitive: there was ton of smoke machine magic during my performance. Wonderful effect, but damn it was a lot of smoke. Also the audience, or at leas my audience, had no clue what they were in for, which is largely exciting but not longer after the play begins you hear drinks going down. That's a mild distraction, but what can ya do? But the performances were quite splendid, the two actors really pulled it off, and all the surprises were done extremely well. If you're afraid of loud banging and jump scares though....perhaps sit this one out.
Overall I loved it, but I also love the source material quite a bit. The major bummer was chairs. For $95 you're sitting in restaurant chairs for two hours, which is a minor pain, but honestly I was on the edge of my seat most of the time. I'd definitely suggest getting there early, they were seating an hour before showtime and the seating is flat aside from the very back row.
#12The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/27/20 at 9:09pm
I'm just waiting for someone to ask if there are gunshots in the show.
Luscious
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/20/05
#13The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/27/20 at 9:30pm
I saw it a couple of weeks ago. I found it to be a big bore and not the least bit scary. Maybe it was the setting, although I understand that it was,originally produced to be performed in a pub setting. Anyway, my friend fell asleep...and we were in the first row! More than a little embarrassing, as the actors were practically in our lap. I wanted to leave at intermission, but I convinced myself that Act II had to be better. It wasn't,
#14The Woman in Black
Posted: 1/28/20 at 5:21pm
Started off a bit slow, but my friend and I really ended up enjoying it. I would recommend making a night of it and doing dinner before as well.
ggersten
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/06
#15The Woman in Black
Posted: 11/9/22 at 1:08pm
After 33 years, The Woman in Black is closing on the West End in March.
We saw it twice over the years and enjoyed it immensely both times. To me, it is just a well crafted piece of theatre - playing on imagination and suggestion with just enough "reality" to shock/scare you. Seeing it with school groups was just so much fun!
But, now with Phantom (Bway) and Woman in Black (west end) closing, can The Mousetrap be far behind?
Phantom4ever
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/17/07
#16The Woman in Black
Posted: 11/9/22 at 3:29pm
This really is a reminder to just go and do stuff when you can.
I had been planning for years to return to London and seeing the original Les Miz, Phantom, and the Woman in Black. Now they're all gone and I never did get to make that return trip because I always thought I should wait.
#17The Woman in Black
Posted: 11/9/22 at 4:35pm
Well, guess I'll finally be seeing this in a couple weeks!
UncleCharlie
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/26/16
#18The Woman in Black
Posted: 11/9/22 at 5:09pm
Sorry to hear it's closing. Got to see it on my last trip to London in 2011 and it's just so well crafted and acted. It's always disappointing when ultra long running shows like this you think will never close, actually do.
ggersten
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/06
#19The Woman in Black
Posted: 3/3/23 at 10:41am
Saturday, 4 March. The Woman In Black ends its run at The Fortune Theatre. Not sure that Operation Mincemeat will have as long of a run in that theatre. There are a few familiar names on the list of actors who have appeared in the show on that stage - 1989-2023. (list goes back to original production in 1987 which was not at The Fortune)
List of Actors
