Review: THE WOMAN IN BLACK at Center Rep

The British sure love their suspense stories. The Woman in Black, which premiered back in 1987, is the second longest-running play in the history of London’s West End, right behind Agatha Christies’ whodunnit The Mousetrap. Just a week late for Halloween, Susan Hill’s ghost story leaves most of its frights to the imagination, which is far more thrilling than the slasher/gore of present horror.

This two-hander production, with direction credited to Robin Herdford’s original production, shines on the acting of Ben Porter as a young actor hired to bring the story of Arthur Cripps to life, and David Acton as the older Cripps and a number of other characters. Add in lovely lighting by Anshuman Bhatia, sound by Sebastian Frost, and Michael Holt’s original 1989 scenic design, and you have a classic creepy ghost story.

Stephen Mallatratt’s construction of the story is another star of the show. The older Cripps has a story to tell and as he states, “once written, must be told.” When his delivery fails (he’s no Olivier) he hires a young actor to dramatize his story that has haunted him for decades. The story unfolds through their exposition as they play out the younger Cripps entanglement in a ghost story set in the foggy marshes and creaky mansion of the late Mrs. Drablow.

Porter initially expresses the determination of a young lawyer sent to do his job settling an estate but shifts to apprehension and fear as The Woman in Black, a haunting spectre, appears. Acton seamlessly shifts from character to character, no longer timid but emboldened by the exorcism of his demons. Story becomes reality when the Woman in Black haunts the young actor with devastating effect. The Woman in Black has been spooking audiences for decades and Center Rep’s well-crafted version adds to the legacy.

The Woman in Black continues through November 23rd. For tickets go to centerrep.org or by calling (925) 943-7469.

Photo credits: Jenny Anderson