The Woman in Black

A recent paranormal society survey of Brisbane buildings revealed strongest responses came from Brisbane Arts theatre.

How appropriate then that Director John Boyce should swathe the foyer in black and provide only flickering electric candlelight in the auditorium for this Gothic thriller, still running in London since 1989.

Much of the action takes place on the forestage and in the auditorium. Only when the audience is engrossed with the extraordinary experiences of lawyer Arthur Kipps are we allowed to see inside Eel Marsh House, upstage behind a scrim. On the Yorkshire Coast, it is cut off from the mainland by high tides. But the whole marshland is haunted. Locals avoid speaking to young Kipps, sent to wrap up the estate of Alice Drablow.

This is essentially a two-man show. Each plays Arthur Kipps:  Scott Russo, the actor engaged to play the young Kipps, shines; more mature David Bell plays Kipps today, and all subsidiary males. Bell is a master of regional dialects. With minimal physical and costume adjustments he slips in and out of half a dozen characters ─ a tour de force performance.

Ten actors are listed in the programme, no roles identified. I applaud all the Women in Black – they unsettled me. Those responsible for the evocative soundscape did a fantastic job, as did Marie Louise Nolan for the freaky lighting.

Go! This is an immersive theatre experience.

Jay McKee

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