Theatre Review: The Woman in Black at Theatre Royal

There’s a particular kind of hush that settles over an audience when a ghost story really gets its hooks into you. Not the polite silence of theatre etiquette, but the held breath of collective dread- immediately followed by screams of terror.

The Woman in Black, now playing at Nottingham's Theatre Royal, earns that silence the hard way - patiently, playfully, and then all at once. It’s a masterclass in how to scare an audience without ever rushing the job.

One of the great strengths of this production is its refusal to sprint headlong into horror. Instead, it lets the fear creep in slowly, seeping through the cracks. The opening moments are light, even knowingly awkward. There are laughs, a sense of theatrical self-awareness, and enough gentle comedy to make you feel safe. Very safe. That safety, of course, is an illusion. By lulling the audience into a false sense of security, the play ensures that when the scares arrive, they hit harder. You’re not braced for them - you’re relaxed, leaning back, and suddenly acutely aware of every shadow in your peripheral vision. That atmosphere changes after the first major scare, and from that point on, the audience was on the edge of their seats (you couldn’t even hear a sweet packet rustle)!

That creeping dread is elevated by some truly fantastic use of sound and lighting. The set itself is stark and minimalist, giving the actors plenty of empty space to haunt. Rather than relying on elaborate scenery, the production uses lighting to transform the stage into windswept marshes, cramped rooms, and endless corridors of memory.

Subtle shifts in colour and intensity signal changes in location and mood, while sound design does a huge amount of heavy lifting- distant cries, ominous silences, and sharp, startling noises that seem to come from everywhere at once. It’s a brilliant example of how to translate a ghost story to the stage without overloading it with spectacle. The fear comes from what’s suggested, not what’s shown.

At the heart of the play are two performances that carry the audience through every emotional turn. John Mackay is utterly convincing as Arthur Kipps. From the outset, he appears uncomfortable on stage, hesitant and unfamiliar with the performance itself. His stumbling delivery and awkward physicality make us believe that this is a man entirely out of his depth.

As the story unfolds, though, we watch Kipps grow in confidence. He begins to inhabit the narrative fully, slipping seamlessly into multiple roles, each given its own distinct voice and personality. Eventually, you stop noticing the theatrical trick entirely. There are no “other characters played by one man” – there are simply characters.

Alongside him, Daniel Burke delivers a beautifully controlled performance as The Actor. Initially confident and assured, he acts as both narrator and guide, bridging the gap between audience and story. What’s fascinating is how his journey mirrors (and reverses) Arthur’s. While Arthur gains strength, The Actor slowly unravels. As the supernatural incidents escalate, Burke allows cracks to appear in his composure, until confidence gives way to visible terror. By the final moments, he looks as haunted as any character in the tale.

It's worth commending just how much this play achieves with so little. Minimal set, two actors, clever lighting, and impeccable timing – and yet it delivers more genuine fear than most big-budget horrors. This is theatre that trusts its audience, respects the power of imagination, and understands that the scariest thing is often the thing you can’t quite see. Just don’t expect to sleep easily afterwards.

The Woman in Black is at Nottingham's Theatre Royal until Saturday 14 March 2026.

Theatre Royal