5 Reasons that you’ll love The Woman in Black, the record-setting UK hit

Following its historic 33 year run in London’s West End, an acclaimed Off-Broadway installment, national tours and with millions of fans around the world, the record-setting international hit production of The Woman in Black comes to Milwaukee Rep, January 21 – March 23.

For fans of outstanding acting and lovers of a good ghost story, this intensely theatrical production is a rare chance to see British theater at its best – and most macabre. And here are the top five reasons why this spine-tingling show should be on your “must see” list for 2025:

1. It still holds the record as the second longest-running play in London’s West End

The numbers are the very definition of a runaway theatrical hit: more than 7 million audience members at 13,232 performances over an unbelievable 33 years. And when The Woman in Black ended its historic run in 2022, it closed as the second longest-running play in London’s West End behind only Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap.

But, these staggering figures only tell half of the story.

Over the years, The Woman in Black became a beloved theatrical touchstone for generations of savvy fans, eager tourists and even teenage school students who made this production an incredibly popular field trip outing. The critics praised it as “a masterpiece” (The Guardian) that’s “a real treat… entertainment at its very best” (The Independent) – and now you will be able to see this record-setting UK production in our very own Stiemke Studio.

2. It’s been a huge hit in the USA (New York Times Critic’s Pick) and around the world

Beyond its legendary place in West End history, The Woman in Black has been a smash hit wherever it’s played – in the USA and around the world. In addition to tours across the UK & Ireland, Australia and North America, the show’s off-Broadway production received three Drama League Award nominations, the Best Play Revival Award from the Off-Broadway Alliance.

3. It’s adapted from a beloved British novel that has also received a number of screen adaptations

The play is adapted from Dame Susan Hill’s novel of the same name, The Woman in Black, that is one of England’s finest and best-known stories. Since its release in 1983, it has been adapted for film, radio and television, most notably a 2012 feature film starring Daniel Radcliffe that The Hollywood Reporter praised as “a hoot of an old-fashioned British horror film.”
The play is adapted from Dame Susan Hill’s novel of the same name, The Woman in Black, that is one of England’s finest and best-known stories. Since its release in 1983, it has been adapted for film, radio and television, most notably a 2012 feature film starring Daniel Radcliffe that The Hollywood Reporter praised as “a hoot of an old-fashioned British horror film.”