Review: The Woman in Black

Not many shows try to scare the audience. And not many shows last 22 years on the West End. So when one does both, you know it's worth seeing. Also, Daniel Radcliffe is playing the lead in the movie adaptation.

I have to admit that I found the first act a little pedestrian. It was slow, and more than obvious that the play had been adapted from a book. I found myself wishing I had just read it instead. Perhaps, I thought, more modern shows (like Ghost Stories), despite owing a lot to The Woman in Black, are more able to deliver the promised chills.

But, I needn't have judged so soon - there's a reason this show stays open year after year. Act II does deliver, and even I had to muffle a scream at one point!

I doubt that this show is anybody's favourite. But I can see why it's lasted so long, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to see a quintessential London play. Well, after The Mousetrap anyway.