Susan Hill’s ‘The Woman In Black’ played at The Liverpool Playhouse this evening and boy did it do a wonderful job! 25 minutes in, I had my thumbs in my ears and my eyes were poking through my fingers as I was absolutely terrified as to what may or may not happen next. As ghost stories go, I have always found this one rather intriguing; with its two person cast and intricate lighting, the hold the play has upon its audience is electric.
When I entered The Playhouse, I gazed upon the bare staging, the large wicker basket and oak furniture left hardly anything to the imagination, the grey flooring and old pieces of cloth allowed the audience to wonder where the play may begin, someone’s attic perhaps or an old abandoned warehouse. It is only when the character of the Actor appears (Daniel Easton), and he begins to critisise Arthur Kipps', (Robert Goodale), performance that we realise we are in an empty theatre trying to retell some kind of a story. Goodale is beautifully playing the character Kipps who remarkably cannot act as he’s a solicitor, not an actor, whilst Easton plays the actor who is ready and willing to retell this story. From the start it is clear both characters have a connection, although it is the relationship from both performers that confirms this bond.
Both men switched extraordinarily between the tranquility of the empty theatre and the eerie ghost story being retold, this was complimented wholeheartedly by the lighting and slight head nods of recognition between the tech box and the actors. The Woman In Black has one of the most beautifully lit performances I’ve probably ever watched and that was all down to Kevin Sleep. The lighting designer was able to provide a modern contrast between the sepia colours of the ghost story and the brightly lit empty theatre; the warm orange tones created a sense of safety in an almost unnerving tale. The use of red spot upon Easton's face while he spoke a somewhat mundane speech created tension and built anticipation, each audience member feeling it as they were sitting waiting for a foreseeable scare. I believe it was the simplest of lighting elements that created the most impact, the scariest part for myself was when the character of the Actor picked up his torch and began to look around the house, the intensity of my imagination was running wild and I was absolutely petrified all because of a small light. Absolutely fantastic job from Sleep.
Lighting states were not the only element used to transfix the audience into the time period that was the Edwardian era, Sebastian Frost’s sound design manipulated the audience’s senses into visually seeing what wasn’t always there. My favourite moments came from when the actors were miming a sequences on stage that was gently partnered with a sound effect or audio section. The most pleasing moments for me were when the pony and trap were heard as the actors travelled along. The miming of the transport partnered with the audio of the cart allowed myself as an audience member to buy-into the imaginary state that was the ghost story, it also completely paralysed me when I heard the blood curdling scream of the Woman. My mind was completely immersed with both visual and audio elements.
The character of Arthur Kipps was wonderfully played by Robert Goodale, from the moment Goodale stepped onto the stage I absolutely love him and his multiple characters. I found I was completely perplexed by the differences in each of his characters and I found myself buying-into them and their stories more and more. As Goodale began his performances as a ‘terrible actor’ I found this rather a measure of his natural talent. I believe that it is really difficult to pretend to be a bad actor when you’re trained in the profession yourself however Goodale's acting left me wanting more throughout the whole play. Each moment I was gripped on every word that came from his mouth, as the play drew to a close my heart broke for the character's loss and this was all because Goodale had allowed me to buy-into his performance as the older Arthur Kipps. Younger Arthur Kipps or as the play refers to him ‘The Actor' was played by the incredible Daniel Easton. Easton was everything I’d want and more as the Actor, with his carefree whit and bourgeois tendencies, his retelling of the naïve solicitor gone to clear an old woman’s estate provided the audience with an escapism like no other. Easton worked precisely alongside Goodale matching his tenacity and strong form; the minimal props and accurate miming allowed both men to showcase their acting abilities and this was delightful. I found I couldn’t take my eyes off Easton and I bought-into every step, gesture or smirk he performed.
Finally, acknowledgement must go to the director that worked on this creation, Robin Herford and assistant director Anthony Eden. As a whole, The Woman In Black did as it set out to do, it created an atmosphere that had it audience gripped with anticipation and wondering what was going to happen next or who was truly watching them. Some elements I would change due to wanting more mystery surrounding the Woman herself however I completely understand as to why they incorporated some of the more revealing elements into the performance. The mime sequences throughout, the deep character connections and the fact it’s only a two man show resonated significantly with me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Reviewer - Caroline Bleakley
on - 27/1/20
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