Terrifying stage hit The Woman in Black to haunt Theatre Royal Plymouth in 2025

Theatre Royal Plymouth will host the acclaimed stage adaptation of The Woman in Black next autumn as part of a new 22-venue UK tour.

PW Productions has announced that John Mackay will take on the role of Arthur Kipps, with Daniel Burke playing The Actor. The tour opens at Storyhouse in Chester on Wednesday 24 September 2025 and arrives in Plymouth from 4 to 8 November 2025.

The eerie thriller, based on Susan Hill’s bestselling novel, was adapted for the stage by Stephen Mallatratt and has become one of the longest-running plays in West End history.

It ran for 33 years at London’s Fortune Theatre with more than 13,000 performances before its final curtain call in March 2023, having been seen by over seven million people across the UK.

Mackay’s West End appearances include The Doctor at the Duke of York’s Theatre and Witness for the Prosecution at County Hall. He has performed in numerous productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared in TV hits such as Doctor Who, The Crown, Bridgerton, and The Honourable Woman. His film credits include Hamnet, Cruella, Ammonite, and Judy.

Burke’s stage credits include The Girl on the Train UK tour and several productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Troilus and Cressida and Imperium. He has also featured in The Witcher on Netflix and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power for Amazon Prime.

Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation tells the story of a lawyer haunted by a ghostly curse he believes has been placed on his family. He enlists a young actor to help tell his terrifying tale. What begins as a simple storytelling exercise soon descends into a chilling journey as the boundary between fiction and reality starts to dissolve.

Following its debut in 1987 at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, the production moved to Hammersmith’s Lyric Theatre and made its West End debut in 1989. Since then, it has become a cult favourite known for its gripping tension and minimalist staging.

PW Productions said: “Throughout the production’s run in the West End and during its many tours the producer has been determined to keep ticket prices within the range of students and young people, a policy that continues today.”

The Woman in Black is directed by Robin Herford, with designs by Michael Holt and lighting by Kevin Sleep.

For tour dates and ticket information, visit thewomaninblack.com.