Overview
Back in 2012, when Daniel Radcliffe was initially trying to shake a certain boy wizard from his system — before everything from Swiss Army Man and The Lost City to Miracle Workers and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story firmly helped — he stepped into a different kind of supernatural thrills. His first post-Harry Potter role saw him take on The Woman in Black, a gothic-horror tale that pitted him against a curse and a ghost. And yes, the latter did have quite the fondness for wearing dark clothing.
The film adapted the 1983 novella of the same name for the second time. But before The Woman in Black made it to the screen, it spooked out the theatre. Because hauntings often keep coming back, it's doing so again, this time in a new Australian production starring John Waters (Blaze) and Daniel MacPherson (Foundation).
If you don't like scary tales about sinister spirits seeking revenge for past ills, then you might want to sit this one out. If you love them, then prepare to put your nerves to the test. We're betting that the QPAC Playhouse in Brisbane, Adelaide's Dunstan Playhouse, His Majesty's Theatre in Perth, Melbourne's Athenaeum Theatre, the Canberra Theatre Centre and Newcastle's Civic Theatre will all be at their unsettling best for the occasion — it's not every day that you host a show that ranks among West End's longest-running productions, second only to Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, after all.
The Woman in Black is set in Eel Marsh House in England's north, which sits at the heart of a story that Arthur Kipps recounts about his stint as a young solicitor overseeing Mrs Alice Drablow's funeral. The place isn't just filled with secrets, thanks to the titular figure. Waters plays the elder Kipps, with MacPherson plays an actor who agrees to perform the role of his younger guise.
Kicking off its Aussie tour in late April, the stage version of The Woman in Black was first adapted for the theatre by Stephen Mallatratt back in 1987.
"I first saw The Woman in Black in 2020 and knew I had to bring it back to Australia. It's such an incrediblem gripping show that is so spellbinding, it has you on the edge of your seat for two hours," said the current season's producer Alex Woodward.
"When it came to casting we knew it was perfect to ask theatre royalty John Waters to reprise his role he debuted in Australia more than 15 years ago. Daniel was also a natural choice for his incredible ability, charm and charisma."
THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2024 AUSTRALIAN DATES:
Tuesday, April 30–Saturday, May 11 — QPAC Playhouse, Brisbane
Wednesday, May 15–Sunday, May 26 — Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide
Thursday, May 30–Sunday, June 9 — His Majesty's Theatre, Perth
From Sunday, June 23 — Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne
Tuesday, July 9–Sunday, July 14 — Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra
Tuesday, July 23–Saturday, July 27 — Venue Civic Theatre, Newcastle
The Woman in Black hits stages around Australia from April 2024, with tickets on sale from staggered dates starting on Wednesday, January 24. Head to the production's website for more information.
Top image: James Reiser.