@ King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 18 Apr 2015 and
@ Theatre Royal, Glasgow, from Mon 20 Apr to Sat 25 Apr 2015 and
@ Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, from Mon 29 Jun to Sat 4 Jul 2015

It’s pleasing to learn, in a world of CGI films and immersive gaming, that something as simple as two guys on a stage with some flashes and bangs can still scare the bejesus out of an audience. Yes, the gasps of shock soon melt into laughter when the audience realise how easily they’ve been duped, but The Woman In Black is nevertheless thrillingly escapist theatre.

Although relatively modern (it’s an 80s adaptation of a horror novella), this is theatre from an earlier, less cynical age. A ghost story in the classic mould, complete with reclusive widow, grizzled yokels and vengeful spirits, it’s not hard to imagine this having been on stage when the King’s opened over a hundred years ago.

It is a two-hander due to budget restrictions (read: Yorkshire stinginess) on the original production at Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre. Writer Stephen Mallatratt‘s solution was a rather contrived play-within-a-play. Solicitor Arthur Kipps has long been troubled by a visit he made to deal with the affairs of recently deceased widow, Mrs Drablow, and enlists an acting coach to help him tell his tale and exorcise the memory. With The Actor’s help, Kipps takes on the roles of the people he met, while The Actor plays Kipps himself. It’s awkward for the first twenty minutes or so, but once into the heart of the play, this side-story dissolves in the spooky action that unfolds.

The Actor, although central to the drama, is not a demanding role, but Matt Connor plays him slickly and smartly. Malcolm James gets to spread his wings more as Kipps, hopping between characters with great skill. He’s convincing, whether as a lugubrious carriage driver, fearful landlord, shuffling solicitor’s clerk, or as plain old Kipps himself, and only occasionally recycles mannerisms. It is just a topical misfortune that in age and styling some of his characters have a hint of Nigel Farage about them.

The heroes of the production though are lighting and sound designers Kevin Sleep and Gareth Owen and their teams. Marriage of sound and light makes the show. A mistimed creak here, a stray spotlight there and the illusion could have been broken, but it’s all been precisely put together to heart-stopping effect.

A staple of the West End for many years, The Woman In Black is a welcome visitor to the King’s, even if she isn’t to the house she so sinisterly haunts.