Armidale Dramatic and Musical Society (ADMS) is preparing to send a shiver down local spines with its upcoming production of The Woman in Black, a masterclass in suspense that has captivated audiences around the world for decades.
Directed by Jonathon McActeer, the gothic thriller by Susan Hill offers something strikingly different from the usual musical or light-hearted comedy fare often associated with community theatre.
“I was drawn to The Woman in Black because it’s deceptively simple but incredibly demanding,” McAteer said.
“It relies on storytelling, atmosphere, and trust between performers and audience rather than spectacle. For a community theatre like ADMS, that’s exciting. It asks everyone involved to be precise, brave, and imaginative, and it gives our audience something genuinely different from the usual musical or comedy season fare.”
The internationally acclaimed stage adaptation famously uses just two actors, minimal props and carefully crafted atmosphere to tell its chilling tale. For McAteer, preserving that simplicity has been key.
“I’m very keen to preserve its theatrical simplicity. Two actors, a few props, and a shared act of storytelling. That’s timeless,” he said. “At the same time, each production inevitably reflects its own cast and audience, so the reinterpretation comes from how we tell the story, how our performers inhabit the fear, and how our audience responds in the room.”
Rather than relying on elaborate special effects, the production leans into suggestion and restraint.
“Restraint is everything,” Mr McAteer said.
“The fear in this story comes from what’s suggested rather than shown, so we’ve focused on pacing, silence, and letting the audience’s imagination do the heavy lifting. Sound, lighting, and physicality are used very deliberately. If we do our job right, the tension creeps up on you rather than announcing itself.”
Behind the ghostly presence lies a deeply human story. During rehearsals, McAteer and his cast discovered unexpected emotional depth beneath the formal language of the script.
“One of the biggest surprises has been how emotionally vulnerable the characters are beneath the formal language,” he said.
“Arthur Kipps, in particular, isn’t just recounting a ghost story; he’s grappling with unresolved trauma. Once the cast leaned into that, the play stopped being about scares alone and became much more human, which actually makes it more unsettling.”
The technical demands on the performers are significant.
“The technical precision required is intense. Timing, physical transitions, vocal control, and sustained focus are all critical. There’s nowhere to hide in this show. The actors have to carry the audience with them every second, which is exhausting but incredibly rewarding when it clicks,” said Mr McAteer.
In an era dominated by cinematic jump scares and high-budget horror, McAteer believes live theatre offers something uniquely powerful.
“Stage horror is intimate in a way screen horror isn’t. You’re sharing a space with the performers, and there’s no cutaway or soundtrack telling you when to be scared. In a time when we’re used to very loud, visual horror, The Woman in Black offers something slower, stranger, and more personal, and I think that hits differently now,” he said.
For those hesitant about attending a horror play, McAteer has simple advice: “Come in open-minded and let yourself be carried by it. Don’t try to anticipate the scares. Just listen, watch, and allow the story to unfold. The less you brace yourself, the more effective it becomes.”
In his own words, The Woman in Black is “a masterclass in suspense: a beautifully told ghost story that proves you don’t need spectacle to be genuinely terrified.”
As ADMS brings this iconic thriller to the local stage, audiences can expect an evening of slow-burning tension, powerful storytelling and the kind of theatre that lingers well beyond curtain call. For those brave enough to take their seats, one thing is certain — some stories refuse to stay buried.
The Woman in Black will be performed at the Armidale Playhouse from Friday 6 March to Saturday 14 March. Tickets are on sale now https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1520273
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