woman in black essay

Our GCSE Drama group went to see ‘The Woman In Black’ at the Fortune Theatre, London on the 24th March 2009. The play is written by Stephen Mallatratt and the performance was put on by PW Productions. It is set in the early 20th century, on the eerie marshes of the east coast.

Basic Plot

The main concept that the audience have to immediately realise, is that ‘The Woman In Black’ is a play within a play, so there are only two actors: Arthur Kipps, played by Andrew Jarvis and a young actor who is not given a name, played by Timothy Watson.

As the play begins, the audience learn that Mr Kipps is a troubled, old man who has had to deal with a terrifying experience which he cannot forget. He believes that if he can tell his family the story, it will be laid to rest. Mr Kipps hires a small, forgotten theatre in which to tell his story, as well as a young actor to help him in how to tell it.

However, it soon becomes clear that Mr Kipps has never acted before, so in order to tell the story, the young actor and Mr Kipps switch roles. Mr Kipps uses multirole to play all the different characters he has met. This is essential because he is the one that has actually met them, so can portray their behaviour accurately. Multirole is a method created by Bertolt Brecht which enables the actor to detach themselves from the play and the character. It is important in The Woman In Black, because it is a constant reminder of the use of metatheatre. Multirole turns the play from a dull recital to an incredible, chilling performance, because the audience can see what each character looks like, how they react and how they feel.

Key Moments

There were several key moments in the play:

Meeting each of the characters, are all key moments in the play because as the young Mr Kipps mentioned that he was visiting due to the death of Alice Drablow, there was an immediate change in all of the locals’ behaviour. It was a sharp contrast from being friendly and welcoming, to becoming hesitant, twitchy and distant. This created tension because the audience, along with Mr Kipps, do not understand the sudden unwelcome behaviour.

The funeral of Alice Drablow is essential, for the Woman in Black appears for the first time. She walks out of the audience, which is scary and unexpected so it makes the audience jump. There was very good energy and interaction between Jerome and Mr Kipps which made Jerome’s terror of the Woman believable. It also built up more tension when we discover that it was only Mr Kipps who could see her.

The play includes many traditional haunted elements to make the story more ghostly, such as Alice Drablow’s home, Eel Marsh House. It is old, isolated and situated on a cliff so it fulfilled the audience’s expectation. The outline of the house was projected onto the gauze, and the fact that Arthur Kipps did not go straight into the house, increased suspense.

These key moments build up to the climax of the play, where Kipps is alone in the house. He can hear strange, sinister noises but has no idea where they are coming from. He returns to a door which previously, he could not open yet he is curious of what is behind it. The fact that he keeps returning to the door but nothing happens creates an anti-climax because the audience know there must be something behind it, but they do not know what. However, when he tries again the door swings open violently. This was very shocking ...

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These key moments build up to the climax of the play, where Kipps is alone in the house. He can hear strange, sinister noises but has no idea where they are coming from. He returns to a door which previously, he could not open yet he is curious of what is behind it. The fact that he keeps returning to the door but nothing happens creates an anti-climax because the audience know there must be something behind it, but they do not know what. However, when he tries again the door swings open violently. This was very shocking for the audience, many of who reacted with screams. This scene definitely had the most suspense, for the audience were on the edge of their seats, waiting for the Woman in Black to jump out at any moment.

Characters

Young Actor, also plays: the Young Mr Kipps
Arthur Kipps, also plays: Tomes, the solicitor’s clerk,

Bentley, the solicitor,

Samuel Dailey, a local businessman,

Pub landlord,

Jerome, a local man,

Keckwick, pony and trap driver.

Alice Drablow, the deceased woman
Jennet Humfrye, Alice’s sister and the Woman In Black
Nathaniel Humfrye, Jennet’s son, who was adopted by

Alice and her husband due to the fact that he was illegitimate.

Use of Space and Set

Both actors used the performance space well, for they made sure that they projected and were visible to the whole audience. At one point, the Young Actor climbed across the scaffolding, so they definitely used all the space available.

Also, the Woman in Black and the Young Actor used the aisles in the audience. This was not only shocking and scary, but it made the audience feel included and absorbed into the play.

The stage was relatively small and sloped downwards. There was a gauze across the stage and this was very effective, for when the young Arthur Kipps went through the door, the light changed to show a child’s bedroom behind the gauze, which the audience could not see before.

There were many different props used, however the set was a constant reminder that it was a play within a play, and that they were really in a theatre. Things that suggested this were the buckets on the floor, which were there because there was a leak in the theatre, and a clothes rail with various costumes on it.

In addition to this, the actors used the props to create all the different locations. For example, the baskets and chair were placed on the stage in a square formation when Kipps was travelling on the train. Whenever he changed stations, he would swap and sit on a different basket, which made the narration seem more realistic.

The basket, chair and cushions were also used as a bed and the basket was used for the pony and trap. This was very effective, because Arthur Kipps was playing Keckwick, the driver and the Young Actor was playing Mr Kipps, They were both sat on the basket and jolted up and down as though they were travelling on bumpy ground. This made it very believable, especially when Keckwick pulled on the reigns and they both jolted backwards. The tight unison made it clear that it had taken a lot of rehearsal.

The fact that the Fortune Theatre looked old and forgotten from the outside, meant that the mood of the play was immediately presented to the audience. This theme was continued inside the theatre through tattered curtains and fabric covering the bottom of the stage. This made the audience feel included in the play.

Semiotics and Period

The play is set in the Victorian/Edwardian period and this is shown through the use of semiotics. The lighting is dark in many parts, lit only by candlelight which adds to the ghostly mood. Also, the Special FX used such as the pony and trap show that the play is not set in modern times. The Special FX also have the intention of helping the play come alive, for they are a powerful influence on the atmosphere of the play.

The time period was also shown when, through the use of gauze, the audience was able to see Nathaniel Humfrye’s bedroom. When the cupboard was opened, it revealed old-fashioned toys which would have been incredibly popular in the Victorian times.

The costumes were slightly more modern, long coats and suits, and I think this is a reminder that they are re-enacting the story, so times have changed since then. Kipps uses different, simple costumes, such as a hat or glasses, when he is multi-rolling which helps the audience follow the complicated plot. Changing costumes in front of the audience, is another method developed by Bertolt Brecht, and ensures that the audience are not too attached to the characters by reminding them that it is simply an actor, playing a character.

The sound used in the pub was very effective, for it was a dull murmur of people talking, but as soon as Alice Drablow’s name was mentioned, it went silent. This is guaranteed to create tension because there is a sudden contrast between the level of sound in the scene.

I think that the historical influence is very important to the plot, for it revolves around a son being born out of wedlock. Nowadays, that wouldn’t be a problem, however in those times it could lead to ostracism. This is why Jennet Humfrye was forced to give up her son, which eventually led to her becoming the Woman in Black.

The semiotics also showed different locations in the play. For example, the dark lighting and Special FX of the howling wind, and crashing waves clearly conveyed the idea that the characters were outside in dreadful conditions at night.

Mood and Atmosphere

As soon as you walked into the theatre, there was a tense atmosphere, for it was dimly lit and the stage looked tattered and forgotten. We were all nervously excited, for we knew that the play was a ghost story.

The different locations in the play are deliberately chosen to add to the sinister mood, such as the moors and marshes, the empty, narrow streets and the foggy graveyard. They are all associated with ghost stories, so make the play seem scarier for the audience.

The semiotics add to the atmosphere because everything seems much scarier when the only source of light is a candle. It keeps everyone alert and aware, because nobody knows what is going to happen next. The black colours worn by the woman, as well as the dark lighting made everything look intimidating, and they were a symbol of death and grief.

The atmosphere was very intense, and was kept this way because neither of the actors broke focus at all. The audience was clearly engaged by the performance, and anticipating the next twist in the plot. As you looked round, people were either cowering in their seats or sat alert waiting for a surprise.

My Opinion

I thoroughly enjoyed the play, and I thought it definitely fulfilled my expectations. It was scarier than I thought it was going to be, and think that was due to the unpredictability of the plot, as well as the use of lighting and Special FX. The sound of the pony and trap made it seem as though the horse was galloping past you, which made you feel like part of the story.

I particularly liked the ending, when there is a grim realisation that the Young Actor is in trouble, for he could see the Woman In Black. He had assumed that Mr Kipps had hired another actor to play her, but after thanking him for it, there is a strong, emotional connection between the two as the horror of what is going to happen dawns on them. It is also effective because the audience know what is going to happen, but the play ends on a cliffhanger, leaving it up to the audience to decide what happened next.

I also thought the use of props was very effective, because they were all simple, everyday objects but were used in different positions and combinations to show many other objects. They were also an easy reminder that it was a play within a play, which the audience had to keep reminding themselves of.

If I was the director of the play, I would introduce the character of the Woman In Black later on in the play, for I think the audience saw her two early. Lots of tension could have been built up by just getting fleeting glances of her, which not everybody would see. It would make her character seem more mysterious and haunting for the audience.