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Post by NeilVHughes on Nov 9, 2022 11:19:49 GMT
Is it worth seeing before it closes? not been interested as one that was always there and felt in no rush.
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Post by Jon on Nov 9, 2022 11:27:52 GMT
Broken 12 hours ago by the sleuthing of our very own Rory . Note to producers, don't cut your booking period until just before you break the news.
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Post by Matt on Nov 9, 2022 11:30:00 GMT
Is it worth seeing before it closes? not been interested as one that was always there and felt in no rush. You might as well. I haven’t seen it for about 10 years but there’s some jumps and clever stuff in there. I guess if you don’t see it now you may never do again? I’m sure tickets are cheap?
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Post by Jon on Nov 9, 2022 11:36:02 GMT
I wonder if school bookings had dropped to the point they couldn't keep it going longer or if ATG finally decided they didn't want it anymore so activated the stop clause.
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Post by Rory on Nov 9, 2022 11:51:40 GMT
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Post by notmymuse on Nov 9, 2022 13:01:25 GMT
Is it worth seeing before it closes? not been interested as one that was always there and felt in no rush. I'd say yes. Try and sit nearer the front. It's a classic and can be genuinely thrilling and scary and a lovely example of theatrecraft. Also, cheap seats are easy to come by.
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Post by Mark on Nov 9, 2022 13:17:23 GMT
It was very tired when I saw it earlier in the year, but if you've never seen it, you've got nothing to lose.
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Post by theatrefan62 on Nov 9, 2022 16:46:57 GMT
Absolutely love The Woman In Black, fantastic piece or simple but very clever pure theatre. Sad its closing
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Post by marob on Nov 9, 2022 17:04:54 GMT
I saw a matinee of the tour in Liverpool with a few school groups in, who annoyed the hell out of me by screaming at everything, then giggling because they screamed. 🙄
I liked it, but not really enough to go again, so I’m that respect it will be nice to have a reason to see something at the Fortune Theatre at some point.
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Post by Jon on Nov 9, 2022 17:13:49 GMT
On one of the other threads, they mentioned The Woman in Black's weekly gross were around £50,000 and it still made a profit. I'm assuming rising costs and declining audiences meant that profit was wiped out and it was just breaking even if not losing money.
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Post by theatrefan62 on Nov 9, 2022 17:37:40 GMT
If schools and tourists make up a large portion of their audience then it's not a surprise. Schools will be cutting back to save costs and tourists haven't returned in full yet
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Post by Jon on Nov 9, 2022 18:24:04 GMT
Has either BBC London or ITV London mentioned the closure? You'd think a long runner closing in the West End would be news worthy?
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Post by anthony on Nov 9, 2022 20:43:21 GMT
Had a feeling this was coming. A few weeks ago, we tried to book a school trip with dates available on the website. We then received a response saying that tickets are not available for that date and noticed that all future dates had been changed to "sold out".
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Post by Jon on Nov 11, 2022 17:06:50 GMT
The producer of The Woman in Black has said it will return to the West End which could be just a way of sugarcoating the news of the closure. Would anyone else really want it though.
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Post by westendboy on Nov 14, 2022 21:51:23 GMT
This is gonna sound very sappy, but man this news really hurts. This show really means a lot to me, it's one of the few plays that I consider near perfection and I always gush whenever I talk to someone about it. I'm sure it will return to the West End, as what Jon said, but it's still so disheartening to hear the news of a giant of the London theatre scene finally come to an end after a 33 year run. If it does return, I will definitely see it in it's new home, but it's hard to imagine it anywhere else, other than the Fortune.
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Post by Jon on Nov 14, 2022 22:05:43 GMT
This is gonna sound very sappy, but man this news really hurts. This show really means a lot to me, it's one of the few plays that I consider near perfection and I always gush whenever I talk to someone about it. I'm sure it will return to the West End, as what Jon said, but it's still so disheartening to hear the news of a giant of the London theatre scene finally come to an end after a 33 year run. If it does return, I will definitely see it in it's new home, but it's hard to imagine it anywhere else, other than the Fortune. I have the opposite view, it's had a great run but I'm also excited for a new show to go into the Fortune. Theatre is always changing and shows closing is a natural part of that process otherwise the West End shows just become museum pieces.
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Post by westendboy on Nov 18, 2022 21:16:52 GMT
This is gonna sound very sappy, but man this news really hurts. This show really means a lot to me, it's one of the few plays that I consider near perfection and I always gush whenever I talk to someone about it. I'm sure it will return to the West End, as what Jon said, but it's still so disheartening to hear the news of a giant of the London theatre scene finally come to an end after a 33 year run. If it does return, I will definitely see it in it's new home, but it's hard to imagine it anywhere else, other than the Fortune. I have the opposite view, it's had a great run but I'm also excited for a new show to go into the Fortune. Theatre is always changing and shows closing is a natural part of that process otherwise the West End shows just become museum pieces. I understand where your coming from and agree that show's shouldn't necessarily become 'museum pieces', but for me it will just feel like a piece of the heart of London theatre will be missing once this show closes. 33 years is amazing, especially for a straight play, but the West End may not feel entirely the same without this spooky classic. I know I'm probably sounding like a proper sentimentalist, but I always love to see this show get the love and appreciation it deserves. If (or perhaps when) it will return, I wonder what venue would take it? I'm sure there would be plenty that would want it and if so, would it have another continuous run? I also wonder if the producers will ever consider bringing the show Broadway, as it has played off-Broadway and the states before. It probably would garner more attention from the Americans, if it's successful enough.
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Post by westendboy on Mar 3, 2023 13:25:23 GMT
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Post by interval99 on Mar 3, 2023 13:51:33 GMT
Any board members going to the last day of this show on Saturday. Tickets went quickly but hopefully they will mark the occasion in someway.
Great it's going on tour and it's a play you can see doing the rounds every few years for sometime ahead.
Hopefully they have reached settlement with the woman in black now the run has ended, knowing how superstitious actors can be they won't won't to be in a theatre where the previous leading lady still haunts it's stage.
An amazing run and wonderful adaptation of a great little book, simply but effectively staged and letting the audience imagination run free and causing all ages to jump in shock.
Also been a great chance when I have seen it of seeing a veteran actor have another star turn and launch a new actor career onto the stage.
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Post by interval99 on Mar 3, 2023 14:03:39 GMT
While it only goes up to 2019 the wib website does have a role call of all the actors covering the roles of the actor and Mr Kipp's over the run from 1987. thewomaninblack.com/about/roll-of-honourSome great names and some I wish I had seen in it. My first view of the play was the tour at bath theatre royal. Need to lookup who played the actor but Mr Kipp's was John Duttine.
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Post by steve10086 on Mar 5, 2023 8:20:47 GMT
Saw the final matinee of the show yesterday. I’d seen the original cast at The Fortune in 1989, and a number of casts since then, and I thought it was still going very strong yesterday. I know it’s good to have new things in the West End, but I don’t think having such a good little play taking up the smallest of theatres was a problem. Will be sad not to see the signs for it next time I pass that way.
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Post by westendboy on Mar 5, 2023 14:47:25 GMT
Saw the final matinee of the show yesterday. I’d seen the original cast at The Fortune in 1989, and a number of casts since then, and I thought it was still going very strong yesterday. I know it’s good to have new things in the West End, but I don’t think having such a good little play taking up the smallest of theatres was a problem. Will be sad not to see the signs for it next time I pass that way. I've seen this show a total of five times now (3 at the Fortune and twice on tour) and it'll never get old or tiring to me. It was one of the first West End productions I had ever seen and one of the first to spark my love for the theatre scene. It will feel weird not seeing it advertised around London, or it the signs outside the Fortune. It was such a perfect venue for this show, it's small size adding to both the intimacy and claustrophobia that I don't think can be full replicated in other venues. This of course won't be the last we'll see of this play, thanks to the upcoming UK tour later this year. If interest in the show is still there after the tour ends, we may be lucky to see it's return to London sooner rather than later, hopefully a triumphant return to the Fortune itself. But only time will tell. In the meantime, let's celebrate this show's legacy and how much it's done for the theatre scene. ...that was probably the most overly sentimental and pretentious thing I have ever wrote.
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Post by westendboy on Sept 6, 2023 14:13:47 GMT
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Post by david on Dec 6, 2023 19:33:12 GMT
Susan Hill's classic ghost story is this years festive period show at the Liverpool Playhouse so I popped down last night for a watch on its 1st night. Having seen it both at the Fortune and on tour, for me it never fails to disappoint and this viewing was no different. The intimacy of the theatre's auditorium just adds to the atmosphere.
It is just a great story and the simplicity of the staging still offers a great night out with plenty of jump scares that still work no matter how many times you have watched it. Having a few school groups in last night certainly added to the atmosphere with plenty of screams from them throughout the play.
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Post by hannechalk on Dec 12, 2023 22:41:51 GMT
I saw this at the Playhouse in Liverpool tonight, and it was superb! Never seen anything as scary in a theatre my life!
Just two actors (or is it three?), simple staging, showing what excellent storytelling, lighting and sound can do!
Only downside was the smatterings of ladies on a glass or two, who'd laugh and titter after each scary bit. Yes, you jump, but you don't titter about it for minutes afterwards.
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