We are made to feel that we are sharing the train journey with him. The shifts in posture and movement help convey the impression of time passing as the journey continues. It is an important element of the drama that we get the impression that Kipps is being transported far from his familiar surroundings, away from his 'comfort zone' . The journey is a physical one , but he is also going on a psychological journey too where he will have to confront his fears.
At one point the actor playing Kipps opens his eyes wide , gazing out to the audience as if peering out of the train’s windows, his eyes moving from side to side as if following the scenery that is dashing by.This action adds credibility to the scene, convincing us he is on a train. When Kipps begins to shiver he gets up jerkily, conveying the movement of the train, to shut the window. This change in his movements is good stagecraft- it adds interest if the actor is not motionless and keeps our attention. Kipps puts his head out of the ' frame ' and then seems to fall back as if there is a strong wind . This reinforces our impression that he is vulnerable, almost losing his balance and his feeling cold and shivering could be a sign of his fear. All these movements also reinforce the impression that he really is on a train, inviting us to suspend disbelief and accept the situation he is in. As the wind pushes the Kipps character backwards , there is even the hint that the elements are foreshadowing the wild and unearthly activity that is to come.
His body language becomes defensive. He crosses his arms, tightly hugging his chest protectively. His discomfort is shown further by the crossing and re-crossing of his legs. As the train pulls into a station, the man’s movement becomes slower and it is apparent the train has come to a complete stop when he suddenly jerks forward .
A new passenger enters the compartment. At first, Kipps does not look happy at the intrusion - he sits up straighter, hold himself rather stiffly like people do when their space is invaded- and does not immediately greet the stranger. Yet before long the two men are talking easily, initially exchanging everyday pleasantries about the weather and journey. Kipps learns that the man , called Simon Daily, is also travelling to Crythin Gifford. Relived to be distracted from his grim work ahead, Kipps becomes more at ease as the light conversation progresses and leans forward towards Samuel Daily , conveying his genuine interest in their conversation and his appreciation for the friendly human contact.
Kipps wants to know more about the village he is travelling to and find out more about Mrs Drablow. Simon Daily speaks openly about Crythin, explaining that there are rarely any visitors; he talks quickly and fluently, maintaining eye contact with Mr Kipps. However, the easy social discourse comes to an abrupt halt when Kipps enquires about the recent demise of his client, Mrs Drablow. His enquiry is greeted by an immediate silence. Samuel Daily clams up, sits up straight in his chair, withdraws eye contact and instead stares pointedly out of the window. He thus conveys very clearly that the subject bothers him and he is not happy to divulge any of the tales that surround her family. Because this behaviour is such a contrast to the easy, friendly manner he had a few moments before, we wonder what could possibly have provoked such a strong reaction. We are left with the suspicion that there things afoot that are so horrible that people do not want to discuss or want to pretend did not happen or just want to cover up. Since we know no more than Kipps we are in the same position as he- and so our identification with him as a character is more complete.
Kipps seems surprised by the sudden change in mood, and retreats back into sitting almost in silence for the remainder of the journey while his troubled expression hints at the worries preying on his mind . The tension that has been built up by Daily's reluctance to discuss Mrs Drablow reaches a climax when the lights suddenly go off and the theatre is plunged into darkness. This shocks the audience and the actors, and give us a taste of further shocks that lie in store. The lights flash back on – and we realise that the train has emerged from the tunnel. From this moment we see that Kipps’ anxiety is heightened , conveyed by his gestures- he starts fiddle with his cuffs- and his breathing-he takes deep, slightly uneven breaths.
The scene I have just described does much to involve the audience with the feelings of the characters portrayed. By asking us to believe in the situations they find themselves in (i.e. the train, although it is, after all, just a pretend train) we suspend disbelief. By giving our imagination free reign like that, we, the audience, are leaving ourselves open to imagine all sorts of other less everyday things. We are more open to the power of suggestion- especially the fear-inducing suggestions of spectres and unhappy spirits that are to come.
The second scene I have chosen to examine takes place immediately after the interval.
The curtain rises after the interval to show Mr Kipps in the office of Mr Jerome (who is being played by the actual, older Mr Kipps) . Earlier in the play, they were in the village graveyard at dusk and the young actor playing the part of the young Mr Kipps caught sight of the ghostly woman in black. This has greatly disturbed Mr Jerome (i.e. the real Arthur Kipps). So, even before Kipps asks Mr Jerome to accompany him back to Eel Marsh House you can tell Mr Jerome is extremely nervous. He nearly jumps out of his chair when Mr Kipps knocks and the rapid darting of his eyes during their encounter gives the impression that he is not fully concentrating on his visitor, but is checking the shadows for any uninvited spectres. Like a vulnerable animal who knows a predator might be lurking nearby he is on red alert, aware his very survival may be threatened.
The actor further communicates his unease by the use of his body movements and his voice. For instance, his high pitched greeting and the fidgeting in his office chair show his discomfort at being visited by one who has seen the woman in black .The brief but tense silence that follows Mr Kipp’s proposal that they return to the house and the horrified expression on Mr Jerome’s face confirms his terror. He refuses point blank to help Mr Kipps.
He licks his lips repeatedly suggesting his mouth is dry with fear, another signal of his agitation and distress. He begins to pace the room, clutching a handkerchief with which he dabs his brow- suggesting that he has broken out into a cold sweat-another outward symbol of his anxiety. His clenched fist and stiff posture also reinforce the tension he feels.
He cannot bear to look Mr Kipps in the eye so turns from him, thus making a barrier between him and what he sees as the immediate threat. His speech becomes jerky, his voice wavering .Perhaps feeling faint with fear, Mr Jerome leans over supporting himself on the back of his office chair . His body language at this stage seems to be saying that if he does not clutch a solid object, something linked to the earth, he may be in danger of drifting away.
Recovering his sense of survival, he has a sudden outburst of shouting. However, this reinforces the audience’s impression that this is not a man in control of his emotions, his voice, his senses, his body .I think Michael Meer’s’ portrayal of Mr Jerome ,in the scene described above, was very effective as he conveyed a lot about the character in a reasonably short scene. He also seemed aware of every part of his body and was therefore able to show complete fear and anxiety. He depicted very successfully a man who had lost his equilibrium, with jerky movements and speech. He showed an inability to regain composure and even planted doubts in the minds of the audience about his sanity.
The actors interacted well with the two mirroring each other's unease. The stagecraft was good in that the actors both commanded our attention- one was not dominating the scene more than the other.
The two scenes I have described from The Woman in Black show that the dramatic power of the play depends greatly on the skill of the two actors who use all their non verbal skills to develop the tension rather than merely relying on what they are saying. By employing very convincing mime and close observation of how people behave under stress or when they are very frightened, they convince us and involve us in the dark world they create on stage.
