The Woman in Black, the spine-chiller based on a horror novel by Susan Hill, will open at The Masque Theatre tomorrow Friday June 28.
Produced by the Claremont Dramatic Society and directed by David Wilke, of Rondebosch, the play stars Nigel Stevenson, of Pinelands, and newcomer Landon McClure, of Rondebosch.
The play was adapted for theatre by Stephen Mallatratt in 1987 and is about a mature lawyer Arthur Kipps (Stevenson) who is obsessed with solving a curse that he believes has been cast over him and his family. He seeks help from a sceptical young actor (McClure) to help him tell his terrifying story.
“Kipps wants to exorcise this pain, and the only way to do that is to speak it out, and he looks for help as he does not know how to go about it himself,” says Stevenson of his role.
He has over 10 years of experience in community theatre and previously appeared in Agatha Christie’s The Unexpected Guest, at The Masque.
His most enjoyable role, he says, has been that of Inspector Hercule Poirot in another Agatha Christie play, Alibi.
McClure says he and Stevenson found it easy working together. “We started to learn how the other person works and got used to it.”
Wilke is a former Camps Bay High drama teacher, and this is his directorial debut. He says the play delivers a major twist, and the audience can expect a shock to the system because live theatre can be scarier than watching a horror movie.
“The experiences that the audience will go through with the actors are very real, the audience can experience some comedy but a lot of scary moments and jump scares.”
The Woman in Black will play at The Masque Theatre, 37 Main Road, Muizenberg from Friday June 28 to Saturday July 6, with performances from Wednesdays to Fridays at 8pm, and two performances on Saturdays at 2.30pm and 6.30pm. Tickets can be purchased through Computicket or at The Masque Theatre box office by calling 021 788 1898. Tickets cost R100 for adults and R90 for group bookings of over 10 people and for pensioners and students.
