238:, and his dog went out onto the marsh one day in a pony and trap driven by Keckwick's father. A fog suddenly descended upon the marsh and they became lost. Riding blindly, they became stuck in the quicksand, and all were drowned. Jennet, driven insane by grief, contracted a terrible wasting disease and died several years later. Immediately after her death, she returned as the Woman in Black.
38:
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Arthur suddenly becomes victim to a series of chilling events in Eel Marsh House and eventually passes out on the marsh when trying to rescue Spider. He is found and taken back to
Crythin by Sam Daily, who assures him that Spider survived. He tells Arthur the story of the Woman and explains that many
319:
On 9 November 2022, it was announced that the show would play its last performance at the
Fortune Theatre on Saturday 4 March 2023. The final cast starred Julian Forsyth as Kipps and Matthew Spencer as The Actor. Upon closing, the production had played 13,232 performances and was the fourth longest
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and marries his fiancée, Stella. At a country fair, Stella and their infant son Joseph go for a ride on a pony and trap. Arthur sees the Woman in Black step in front of the trap, scaring the pony. Joseph is thrown from the trap and hits a tree, killing him instantly. Stella dies 10 months later due
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Assuming that it is
Keckwick returning, he turns back into the fog. It soon becomes apparent that the pony and trap are in trouble, and he hears it drive off the causeway onto the marsh. Arthur listens helplessly as the pony and trap get stuck in the mire and its occupants, including a young child,
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theatre, an old Arthur Kipps is reading aloud from a manuscript of his story. A young actor, whom he hired to help dramatise the tale, enters and criticises him for his rigid delivery. After a debate, they agree to perform the story, with the Actor playing a younger Kipps, and Kipps himself playing
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the spirit of the Woman in Black. The Actor asks Kipps about the "pale young lady with the wasted face" playing the Woman in Black. Mirroring the earlier scene with Mr. Jerome, Kipps reveals that nobody else had been in the theatre but them, implying that the real Woman in Black had been present.
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Unable to accept being parted from her son, Jennet returned to
Crythin Gifford after a time and stayed with her sister. She was allowed to see her son provided that she never reveal her true relationship to him. The child became attached to Jennet. She planned to run away with him, but before she
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The next morning, young Arthur meets with a local man enlisted to help him, Mr. Horatio Jerome. They go to Mrs. Drablow's funeral together, where Arthur first sees the Woman in Black. At first feeling sympathy for the young woman, who was apparently suffering from a wasting disease, he asks Mr.
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Arthur seeks the help of Mr. Jerome, either to accompany him back to Eel Marsh House or to send him someone else to help. Mr. Jerome becomes severely distressed and insists that nobody in the village would willingly accompany him to the house. Arthur later meets Sam Daily and tells him of his
218:, abandoned but in perfect condition. Later that night, he hears a knocking sound in the nursery. He and Spider investigate. The nursery has been ransacked, and an empty rocking chair is rocking back and forth as if somebody had just left it. Arthur gingerly returns to his bedroom.
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Jerome who she is. Mr. Jerome is visibly uncomfortable and forces Arthur away from the church, insisting that there was no woman. After their return to the inn, Mr. Jerome's mood lifts and says that a local man will arrive shortly to escort Arthur to Mrs. Drablow's house.
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The next day, Arthur finds correspondence from almost sixty years ago, between Mrs. Drablow and a mysterious woman who is apparently her sister. The woman, Jennet
Humfrye, unmarried and with child, was sent away by her family. A son was born to her in
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are drowned. Arthur returns to the house in a state of panic. Whilst he is exploring the house, he discovers a locked door. Due to stress, he becomes enraged when he is unable to open it. He is surprised when
Keckwick returns a few hours later.
374:. It reopened on 24 October 2021 and closed on 27 February 2022. Combining both runs, it played 22 previews and 166 performances. The production received the Best Play Revival Award from the Off-Broadway Alliance and was nominated for three
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out to the house. Arthur spends the day sorting through Mrs. Drablow's papers and is amazed to find out how many there are. He also finds an old cemetery outside the house, where he again encounters the Woman in Black. Later that day, a
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The first overseas production of the play was in 1990 by The
Phoenix Theatre in Nairobi, Kenya, where it ran for 18 performances from 21 September to 6 October. The Actor was played by Martin Worster and Arthur Kipps by James Ward.
370:, the production recreated the original 1987 Scarborough bar staging in the McKittrick's Club Car. It starred Ben Porter as The Actor and David Acton as Kipps. Originally opening on 23 January 2020, it closed due to the
191:. He tries to return across the causeway on foot in the fog, but quickly becomes lost and is forced to retrace his steps to Eel Marsh House. Before he gets there, he hears the sound of a pony and trap on the causeway.
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running show in West End history and the second longest running play in West End history. Following its final West End performance in March 2023, the production transferred to a new UK Tour, opening at the
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from young Arthur in which he explains that he is sure, although he does not know how, that the sounds he heard were from neither
Keckwick nor any living thing, but from things that are dead.
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in August 1989. Direction was by Robin
Herford, the Set Designer was Michael Holt and the Lighting Designer was Kevin Sleep. The original London cast (1989) was
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363:, Illinois. The production opened on 18 November and ran through 17 February of the following year, starring Bradley Armacost and Adam Wesley Brown.
316:, the show reopened on 15 September 2021 and saw both Terence Wilton and Max Hutchinson returning to play respectively Arthur Kipps and The Actor.
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167:, Mr. Samuel Daily, who tells him a little about Mrs. Drablow. Upon their arrival at Crythin Gifford, Mr. Daily drops off Arthur at the local
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Having come to the end of their rehearsal, Kipps and the Actor sit down to rest. Kipps wonders if performing the play for his family will
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The local man, a villager named
Keckwick, arrives a few moments later. To Arthur's delight, Keckwick drives Arthur in an old-fashioned
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as The Actor. In publicity literature, the actress in the title role is surreptitiously listed as 'Vision', but was originally
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experiences. Sam is concerned and invites Arthur to his house, where he gives Arthur his dog, Spider, as a companion.
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widow, Mrs. Drablow. He travels to Crythin Gifford to sort through her private papers. On the train, he meets a local
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in Scarborough as a Christmas ghost story. The production was staged in a pub and was later retooled as a traditional
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Wardle, Irving. "Imaginative and hideously real trap; Review of 'The Woman in Black' at the Lyric, Hammersmith".
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as Kipps and Jared Reed as The Actor. The production closed on 8 July 2001 after 8 previews and 40 performances.
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230:. Despite her strong resistance, Jennet ultimately relented and gave the child to Mrs. Drablow and her husband.
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of the local people he has met (Jerome, Keckwick, and Daily himself) have all lost a child after seeing her.
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In 2018, Herford presented the first U.S. staging of his West End direction at the Royal George Theatre in
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as Arthur Kipps and Mark Hawkins as the Actor, then from 19 March 2019 Stuart Fox with Matthew Spencer.
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305:-trained Nicola Sloane. For the 30th Anniversary year the West End cast from May 2018-March 2019 was
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116:. It is notable for only having three actors perform the whole play. It was first performed at the
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in February 1989 and subsequently transferred to the Playhouse in April 1989 and finally the
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In 2020, the play returned to New York City under the direction of Herford. Staged at the
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West End Hit The Woman in Black to Play Limited Engagement at New York's McKittrick Hotel
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in 1989 and was performed there until 4 March 2023 for 13,232 performances, becoming the
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378:: Outstanding Play Revival and Distinguished Performance for Porter and Acton.
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This article is about the 1987 stage play. For the 1897 stage play, see
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Remembering his own wife and child, the Actor runs offstage in horror.
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could follow through the plan, a tragic event occurred. The child, his
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Returning to Eel Marsh House, Arthur finds that the locked room is a
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THE WOMAN IN BLACK to Haunt the Fortune Theatre for the Final Time
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596:"San Diego's Woman in Black Rises at OB's Minetta Lane May 29"
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622:"The Woman in Black Will Play Chicago's Royal George Theatre"
608:"Woman in Black Disappears July 8 at Off-Bway's Minetta Lane"
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648:"'Woman in Black' is brilliantly terrifying at Royal George"
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Church, Michael. "Theatre. 'The Woman In Black' - Strand."
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second longest-running non-musical play in West End history
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Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black – 2021 Full Cast Confirmed
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A new national tour has been scheduled for 2024, starring
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The Woman in Black Sets Closing Date at McKittrick Hotel
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Woman in Black program, Ensemble Theatre, Jun-Dec 2021
440:"The Woman in Black to close at the Fortune Theatre"
159:Young Kipps learns of the death of the elderly and
187:settles on the marsh, cutting Arthur off from the
156:all the other characters and narrating the play.
112:. The play was produced by PW Productions, led by
574:LondonBoxOffice.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2021
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560:"'Woman in Black' Embarks on Tenth Tour in 2010"
312:Following the closure of the theatre due to the
696:Australian tour, 2006-07, at newtheatricals.com
586:Bestoftheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2022
534:"'Woman in Black' Celebrates 10th Anniversary"
473:"The Woman in Black and other West End haunts"
394:toured Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
124:, in 1987. The production opened in London's
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397:The play was also performed at Sydney's
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549:. londontheatre.co.uk, 29 January 2002
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314:COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
250:to injuries sustained in the accident.
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510:(London), 19 January 1989, Issue 63295
372:COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
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562:. whatsonstage.com, 23 December 2009
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452:from the original on 9 November 2022
386:In 2006–2007, a production starring
348:opening on 4 June 2001 directed by
285:in January 1989, then moved to the
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686:Playbill.com Retrieved 16 May 2023
674:Playbill.com Retrieved 16 May 2023
610:Playbill.com Retrieved 16 May 2023
598:Playbill.com Retrieved 16 May 2023
274:staging for its London transfer.
266:The play premiered in 1987 at the
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100:is a 1987 stage play, adapted by
718:2024 Australian tour information
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536:. whatsonstage.com, 7 June 1999
438:Raven, Chris (9 November 2022).
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104:. The play is based on the 1983
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523:, 22 February 1989, p.28
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277:The play opened in the
547:"'The Woman in Black'"
268:Stephen Joseph Theatre
118:Stephen Joseph Theatre
21:Henry Grattan Donnelly
758:Plays based on novels
106:book of the same name
346:Minetta Lane Theatre
324:in September 2023.
297:as Arthur Kipps and
646:Huntsberger, Alex.
545:Dalglish, Darren.
376:Drama League Awards
340:, the play had its
332:After a run at the
738:Susan Hill Website
558:Bosanquet, Theo.
262:Production history
198:Act I ends with a
108:by English author
102:Stephen Mallatratt
97:The Woman in Black
68:1987 (Scarborough)
58:Stephen Mallatratt
31:The Woman in Black
652:Chicago Sun-Times
410:Daniel MacPherson
334:Old Globe Theatre
283:Lyric Hammersmith
245:Kipps returns to
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151:In an empty
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142:Plot summary
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114:Peter Wilson
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60:(adaptation)
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778:Two-handers
406:John Waters
388:John Waters
295:Charles Kay
122:Scarborough
753:1987 plays
747:Categories
489:19 October
456:19 October
425:References
272:proscenium
110:Susan Hill
54:Susan Hill
50:Written by
508:The Times
401:in 2021.
382:Australia
338:San Diego
236:nursemaid
200:monologue
185:thick fog
165:landowner
161:reclusive
153:Victorian
657:13 April
631:13 April
626:Playbill
483:Archived
450:Archived
279:West End
255:exorcise
228:adoption
224:Scotland
189:mainland
132:, after
126:West End
361:Chicago
281:at the
88:Britain
83:Setting
247:London
206:Act II
147:Act I
75:Genre
659:2024
633:2024
491:2023
458:2023
408:and
390:and
336:in
169:inn
120:in
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