The Woman in Black returns to the Playhouse 

The legendary production of Susan Hill’s chilling ghost story The Woman in Black returns to the Liverpool Playhouse for one week only, from Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 February

The Playhouse welcomed the production as part of its Christmas programme in 2023, where it was well received during the festive season. The show has now been seen by over 7 million people across the UK.

For 33 years, The Woman in Black played a record‑breaking run in the West End, with over 13,000 performances at the Fortune Theatre. This production stars John Mackay as Arthur Kipps. His theatre credits include The Doctor at the Duke of York’s Theatre, in which he also appeared in at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. His television work includes The Crown and Bridgerton for Netflix. Daniel Burke, who plays The Actor, has theatre credits that include the UK tour of The Girl on the Train, Troilus and Cressida for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s best-selling novel tells the story of a lawyer obsessed with a curse that he believes has been cast over his family by the spectre of a ‘Woman in Black’. He engages a young actor to help him tell his story and exorcise the fear that grips his soul. It begins innocently enough, but as they delve further into his darkest memories the borders between make-believe and reality begin to blur and the flesh begins to creep.

The Woman in Black is directed by Robin Herford, with Antony Eden as Associate Director. The design is by Michael Holt, sound design by Sebastian Frost, and lighting by Kevin Sleep.

The director Robin Herford said:

“Returning to a project may seem for a director to be a safe option, engendering a feeling of confidence and security, but for the new cast of actors, it is absolutely a new experience as they bring their own imaginations, intelligence and emotional responses into contact with the script, and this means a renewed, fresh show. Though the way the production works might remain largely unchanged, the characters created by the actors will be enormously diverse.” 

The Woman in Black is a brilliantly successful study in atmosphere, illusion, and controlled horror. It runs from Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 February at the Liverpool Playhouse.

The Woman in Black plays at Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 February. Tickets are available here.