The Women In Black By Susan Hill.

The Women In Black

By Susan Hill

This great novel by Susan hill has been cleverly adapted for theatre production. By creating the play into a play itself, less actors, props and scenery are needed. My first reaction when I saw the scenery and the theatre itself was initially one of distaste as the theatre was shabby and old. But as the play progressed I realised that this all in a way added to the effect and the ambiance of the theatre.

Before you even sat down everything created an atmosphere. From the small discrete bar to the lighting, if you looked for small things you could find them. In the bar, there were oil style lamps with flickering orange candle effect bulbs. And when actually seated in the theatre, blue flickering bulbs were used to create a ghostly effect. There must have been only 80 seats down on the bottom floor, but with the balcony looming overhead, this made the performance more personal.

The stage itself was small and low budget. It consisted of a large wicker basket, used many times as a desk, pony and trap, bed, bureau and others. A clothes rack, used originally in the theatre within the play. But later used as a divider and such like. Towards the front of the stage scaffolding is used to create different areas of stage and throughout the play. These scaffolding levels are used to their full potential to make different buildings and landscapes. One piece of canvas sticks out in the middle of the stage on the right hand side. This piece is solely used as the door to the nursery. Behind the main area of the stage, a silver curtain hangs. This concealed all behind it except when light is shone from behind it. When behind this screen was visible the back of the stage, was used for the nursery, crypt and part of the main hall (with the stairs leading to the floor above). The nursery would be as you imagine a cot, toys and a dresser. To create the nursery into the crypt white cloths were draped over all of the nursery’s furniture. And to create the stairs, they simply just light up the far back of the stage this shrouds the area in front, the nursery.

Before the play begins the scene is made visible I thought this was a brilliant way to start the production. By letting us look at the scene our mind starts drifting off and it sets us into a theatre mood. From the moment I saw the stage I was thinking to myself, “ I wonder what exactly this is ” and questions like “ what’s that for. ” Very effectively the theatre company had made us subconsciously think about the play and this kept us waiting in suspense. When the curtain came up, this ...

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The plot in short (very short) is the tale of a man by the name of Mr. Arthur Kipps. In the play he seeks help and guidance from an actor to help him with public speaking. He hopes that if he can tell his story to his family that the haunting will be out of his life and that it will bother him no more. Mr. Kipps was a lawyer when it happened and he was to travel to a Mrs. Drablows house the find the last will and testament. But when he arrives at the house he finds that nothing is as it seems and there is something very untoward about it. During the story he is regularly haunted and visited. And the phantom ‘ The Women In Black ’ appears on the set to haunt them.

The woman in black was created brilliantly. She wore black draping clothes and a bonnet concealing a large proportion of her face. The rest of her face is a waning withering scarred face (the waning Due to rapid loss of weight on Mrs. Drablows part). A mask created this effect. This was very practical for the actress, but also because of the plastic material. When the women was spotlighted as was very frequent her face reflected sending shivers up ones spine.

‘Actor’ who acted within the play of the play the part of Mr. Kipps mainly wore three-piece suits and such like. An important effect the actor used was in his voice and his gestures. By having a slight stutter the actor showed fear and when he mixed this with a psychotic almost insane self-reassurance the effect was a brilliant one. His gestures when he described things were descriptive in themselves. He would hold his hand out in front of him describing and capturing the description being made.

Mr. Kipps who played all of the other characters that he met on his journey used a variety of coats scarves and hats to distinguish the different characters he played. Also to distinguish these different parts he changed to different areas of the stage, used different voices and not as definitive he changed his posture, hand movements and walk.

Very effectively the ‘actor’ managed to build up suspense in himself, which he cleverly transferred onto us. Very dramatic silences were placed to build up an almost unbearable tension. Sound was the second most important thing used to scare (the first being visual). Sound although of poor quality was regained by breaking of a dramatic silence and by the sheer loudness used. Also a constant drumming was (a rocking chair) was used this was often stopped and started this was a very clear indication a visitation from the women in Back was imminent.

Going back to the visual effects used to scare. When the women in black was due to appear (this became obvious with time). I was constantly looking down the isles in the wings and any others places I could find to catch a glimpse of the women in black prior to her arrival. But it was so difficult each time she came up a different route and there were a great deal of places to appear from. I think one the most spine chilling moment was a slow accent up the stairs made very coolly and calmly to the second floor. When she then reached the floor she slowly turned to face the audience and her face lit up.

I really have to take my hat off to the actors they choreographed the play so well. A point when the actors were particularly skilled at this. Was when the woman in black appeared behind Mr. Kipps and Mr. Kipps facing forward at the time scanned around the room with the torch and then eventually the torch settled just above his right shoulder on the face of the women in black. Truly pant wetting.

The play was a pleasure to watch and was by far the most effective use of drama I have seen in the theatre.

Sam Ashley