THE WOMAN IN BLACK • The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned ghost story when the weather just starts to cool. This one ran for 33 years at the Fortune Theatre in London’s West End before taking its final bow in March of 2023. The Woman in Black, adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from Susan Hill’s 1983 novel, has been touring regionally and internationally for decades, and now the tale is being told here in a staging of the original London production, continuing The Rep’s 59th season.

A flustered Arthur Kipps (Ben Porter) arrives onstage with a lengthy account of ghastly events that took place years earlier. He intends to relate his experiences to his family with the hopes of providing a catharsis of sorts, and an end to his lingering nightmares. He’s hired a professional actor (James Byng) to help coach him in the telling of the story, which Kipps desperately needs. He initially mumbles his recollections in a timid blur of words, providing a fair bit of comedy in the first several minutes, but with the encouragement of the actor, Kipps is bitten by the acting bug and soon settles into the groove. The narrative concerns a lawyer, the young Mr. Kipps, who travels to the town of Crythin Gifford to attend the burial of Mrs. Drablow, his firm’s long-time client, and put her personal affairs in order. All of the familiar ghost story trappings are here, from murky marshes and an isolated mansion, to spectral sightings, secretive townsfolk and a twist. The actor decides to take on the role of the young Kipps himself, while Kipps plays just about everyone else and serves as the narrator. Mallatratt primes you by cleverly framing his adaptation as a play-within-a-play, enticing you to lean in. And as the actor impresses Mr. Kipps with a collection of pre-recorded sounds to help dramatize the tale, we too are reminded of how impactful the simple conventions of theatrical storytelling can be.

Ben Porter.
Photo credit: Jon Gitchoff

Michael Holt’s scenic design consists of nothing more than some drapes, a wicker trunk, and a few pieces of furniture. The sparseness plays well against Anshuman Bhatia’s lights that incorporate eerie shadows, focused spotlights and sudden darkness, while Sebastian Frost’s immersive sound plunges you amid pony-drawn carriages and fog-laden causeways. No lavish sets required when these elements and your imagination are in sync. Porter is relatable and engaging as Arthur Kipps, and portrays a variety of town locals, slipping into different dialects as easily as he slips into different coats. James Byng is keen as the Actor, and leads us through the harrowing chronicles of Mr. Kipps with creeping apprehension.

It’s the perfect time for ghost stories, and The Woman in Black offers the kind of shared theatre experience that elicits the nervous chuckles that follow extended silence and startled flinches. It’s playing at the Rep until the 26th.

Pictured L to R: Ben Porter and James Byng.
Photo credit: Jon Gitchoff

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Adapted by Stephen Mallatratt

Directed by Robin Herford

Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Road

through October 26 | tickets: $46 - $103

Rush Tickets: Available for students, seniors, educators, and theatre professionals by calling the Box Office at 314-968-4925, 1 - 2 hours prior to curtain time.

Performances Wednesdays to Fridays at 7:00pm; Wednesday, October 22 at 2:00pm, Saturdays at 4:00pm & 8:00pm, Sundays at 2:00pm, Sunday, October 26 at 7:00pm. 

Cast

The roles of Arthur Kipps and The Actor are shared between three actors in repertory.

Arthur Kipps: David Acton

The Actor: James Byng
Arthur Kipps / The Actor: Ben Porter

Pictured L to R: James Byng and Ben Porter.
Photo credit: Jon Gitchoff

Crew
Tour Director: Antony Eden
Associate Director: Maggie Spanuello
Stage Manager: Kayleigh Laymon
Company Stage Manager: Neil Hillyer
Designer: Michael Holt
Lighting Designer: Anshuman Bhatia
Sound Designer: Sebastian Frost
Vision Productions: Imogen Finlayson
General Managers: Tim Smith & Annie Shea Graney for Pemberley Productions
Original UK Producer: PW Productions
North American Tour Producers: PW Productions & Pemberley Productions
Production Manager: Anshuman Bhatia
PA: Shavante Brogley

Pemberley Productions
Managing Members & General Managers: Tim Smith & Doreen Sayegh
General Manager: Annie Shea Graney
Associate General Manager: Terri Kohler
Associate General Manager: Rosie Bross-Rice
Associate General Manager: Florent Trioux
Associate General Manager: James P Yandoli
Assistant General Manager: Chris Devlin
Bookkeeper: Patricia Taylor
Immigration Consultant: Elise-Ann Konstantin