The Woman in Black proves that live horror theatre still packs a terrifying punch, especially for audiences in Plymouth, writes PW BUCHAN
I’ve attended dozens of productions at Theatre Royal Plymouth over the years. But this week, The Woman in Black delivered something I’ve never experienced before.
On opening night, the audience screamed in fear—loudly and often. Pantomimes and children’s plays aside, I can’t recall seeing such a young crowd at the theatre. The atmosphere they created was electric.
At one point, latecomers returning from the toilets caused people sitting by the doors to squeal in terror. That mix of fear and laughter made for an environment like nothing else.
As someone who spends most of October travelling across the UK to visit Halloween haunts, scream parks and scare mazes, I’m not easily frightened. I’ve slept in an allegedly haunted cell at Bodmin Jail and been chased through a farmer’s field by scarecrows wielding chainsaws.
The only truly terrifying experience that stands out was being left to wander through three floors of abandoned Gloucester Prison in the dark, knowing actors would leap out and put me in a body bag—but not knowing when or where.
So, does The Woman in Black, a stage play first performed in 1987, still scare audiences in 2025?
Truthfully, there was nothing that’s going to keep me awake at night. But judging by the screams around me—and the reactions of my teenage children—I’m clearly in the minority.
That’s what made this performance so remarkable.
Theatre Royal Plymouth has quietly built a reputation for bringing brilliant horror productions to the South West.
In the past 12 months alone, the venue has hosted Ghost Stories in February, Danny Robins’ Uncanny: Fear of the Dark in October, and now The Woman in Black. Robins’ 2:22 – A Ghost Story is also set to return in February 2026 for its second Plymouth run.
This matters because scare theatre is vanishingly rare. At any given time, only one or two horror-themed productions are staged across the entire West End.
Yet when they work, they create something cinema cannot replicate: a whole room holding its breath together, then screaming in unison.
The Woman in Black is the undisputed champion of the genre. Running for 33 years in London’s West End until March 2023, it became the second longest-running non-musical play in West End history.
Across 13,232 performances, more than eight million people experienced what began as a shoestring production in Scarborough in 1987, created with just £1,000 and two actors.
I brought my family along to Theatre Royal Plymouth having seen the 2012 film adaptation with Daniel Radcliffe, so I had a rough idea of what to expect—but my memory was hazy.
The performances of John Mackay and Daniel Burke were so powerful they needed almost nothing else to bring the story to life. A minimal set, some inventive sound design, and just a little smoke supported a powerhouse performance.
This is theatre that sets the standard for ghost stories, easily outclassing anything the BBC has screened on Christmas Eve for years.
The production uses a play-within-a-play format. Arthur Kipps rehearses with an actor to perform his terrifying tale for family and friends. With minimal props and precise sound effects, the pair conjure the misty marshes and isolated Eel Marsh House where Kipps encountered the vengeful Woman in Black.
This is the secret to its success. Director Robin Herford, who has overseen every production since 1987, understands that the true scares happen in your imagination.
For decades, The Woman in Black stood virtually alone in its genre. When Ghost Stories co-creator Andy Nyman saw it still running after 30 years, he realised no other horror production had achieved such lasting success.
That inspired him to create Ghost Stories in 2010, helping to revitalise theatrical horror. The packed February run of that show in Plymouth, followed by the success of Uncanny and now The Woman in Black, suggests the South West has become a devoted home for theatrical terror.
What the cast and crew deliver is an incredible night out.
You don’t need to believe in ghosts to enjoy the work of performers like these—entertainers operating at the peak of their abilities.
After witnessing Plymouth’s rapturous response and that extraordinary atmosphere of communal fear and laughter, it’s clear why this production has endured for nearly four decades.
In an age of endless streaming platforms, there’s no substitute for a live performance that changes from night to night.
When that performance involves hundreds of people screaming together, it’s something truly special.
For Plymouth audiences who have embraced horror theatre with such enthusiasm, The Woman in Black represents both the origin story and the gold standard.
Whether you’re a horror devotee or simply looking for a memorable night out, this legendary production delivers.
