The gripping tale of the Woman in Black is spooking audiences at the Wycombe Swan this week.

Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s best-selling novel tells the story of Arthur Kipps (Malcolm James), a lawyer obsessed with a curse that he believes has been cast over him and his family by the spectre of a ‘Woman in Black’. 

He engages a young actor (Matt Connor) to help him tell his story and exorcise the fear that grips his soul.  It begins innocently enough, but as they reach further into his darkest memories, they find themselves caught up in a world of eerie marshes and moaning winds.

As a huge fan of the show since seeing it at the Fortune Theatre back in 2005, I couldn’t resist going to see it again.

And although I knew all the twists and turns, I was still on the edge of my seat throughout because it really is incredibly chilling.

The elements of humour at the beginning lull you into a false sense of security as the show gets gradually more and more petrifying, with blood curdling screams, banging doors and a rocking chair that leaves every audience member gasping.

The show is very simple. There is a maximum of three people on stage at any time and the very minimal set design works well. It leaves you to imagine a lot of what’s going on, which makes it all the more terrifying.

Malcolm James as Arthur Kipps and Matt Connor as The Actor were fabulous and I couldn’t fault their acting at all. The dialogue between the two was incredible. Their characters were very believable and the audience were hanging onto their every word as they retell the transfixing story. 

Kevin Sleep on lighting and Gareth Owen on sound deserve special recognition as they did a fantastic job of creating a tense and eerie atmosphere.

A perfect example is the use of smoke machines to create gloomy fog on the marshes, combined with the deafening sound of horse hooves. It leaves you feeling as helpless as the character as he stumbles around blindly.  

The creepy production has entertained over seven million theatregoers since it opened in the West End 25 years ago and it thoroughly deserves its reputation as the most terrifying stage production.

It is petrifying, spine-tingling and utterly chilling and a must-see for any horror fan.

The Woman in Black is showing at the Wycombe Swan until Saturday, June 13. Tickets range from £17 to £30.50, available online at www.wycombeswan.co.uk or by calling 01494 512 000.