The Woman in Black is a two act stage play that is a play within a play set in end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century. A story that is meant to exorcise the memories that haunt an older man and in the process unleashes the malevolent entity on an unsuspecting younger man too naive to see what he was getting involved in.
Arthur Kipps is a lawyer who hires a young actor to help him recount a terrifying experience from his youth involving a spectral woman haunting a remote estate. The Actor is the young man who has agreed to play a young Mr. Kipps in his retelling of his manuscript completely ignorant of what this new role would manifest. Jennet Humfrye aka The Woman in Black who has returned to the Eel Marsh House and the township of Crythin Gifford after death as an omen for future fatalities.
This new production of The Woman in Black is the first time it is being performed by the Freeport Players Guild and continues the 2026 season of engaging plays on the stage of the Regency Theatre. The atmospheric suspense that playwright Stephen Mallatratt brought to their 1987 stage play adaption of the 1983 gothic horror novel by Susan Hill is a perfect example of a slow burn that lulls you into a false sense of security before the jump scares reminds you that this is no ordinary play. The first time director Melanie Jessel is able to bring this unique production to the Regency stage in a way that promises more exciting plays to come that will bring new acting challenges to our talented local players. Camille deGregory does double duty as stage manager and producer while bringing her years of theatre expertise to this production by keeping the pacing tight so the emotional journey is impactful from Act 1 to act 2. Remardo Russell delivers a performance that has layers lulls you into a false sense of security while Jeffrey Swain has a character arc that makes the watcher feel for him as he comes the understand the weight of the predicament he finds himself in and we must not forget Paulette Russell who performs in silence but gets a reaction from those viewing every time she is on stage. This live production should not be confused with the 1989 television movie or the 2012 cinematic film starring Daniel Radcliffe, but it does share the their aura of foreboding that may have you leaving the lights on when you go to sleep after watching it. The showings on Friday, Saturday & Sunday were all theatrical experiences worth leaving the comforts of home for with every audience member getting to feel bone chilling fright that will be talked about after the production with laughter and relief.
