On the 27th of January 2003, I got on a coach outside of my high school at 6pm and made my way to the Fortune Theatre near London’s Covent Garden. I knew the play was going to be scary as we had been briefed beforehand. What lay in the theatre, no one had prepared for…
I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet but I will say, I left the theatre looking over my shoulder. And I have been ever since. Lets just say that I have never looked at rocking chairs in the same way ever again.
As it was for school and my drama GCSE, I (eventually), wrote a 2000 word essay and read the original Susan Hill novel. In fact, I was reluctant to give the book back.
A few years later, I came across the TV version of the story on youtube and all of those feelings came back.
A couple of years later, I heard that there was going to be a Hollywood movie. My initial reaction was disappointment because we all know how Hollywood likes to twist and corrupt. For a long time I avoided pictures and clips, only allowing myself to watch the trailer. Then, yesterday afternoon, I watched a clip on IMDb. Bang, bang, bang, bang…
Last night, we had chinese for dinner and made our way to the cinema. I don’t know what I was preparing myself for but I knew in my heart what was coming. And she didn’t disappoint.
Bang, bang, bang, bang… my heart pounded so fast that I thought it was gonna stop.
Although there were things missing and changes, I put it down to the sheer fact that it had to be condensed for Hollywood. Jane Goldman did a good job and she has obviously done her research well. There was not a Potter in sight. They managed to capture just a taste of the atmosphere of the theatre version and I had already stated that if they captured even that, I would be happy.
For my birthday, I asked for Susan Hill’s original novel and it is a new edition with a purple cover. It actually reminds me a lot of William Morris. Can’t wait to get it on Wednesday!
My love for this story knows no bounds.
during afternoon tea
theres a shift in the air
a bone trembling chill
that tells you she’s there
there are those who believe
the whole town is cursed
but the house in the marsh
is by far the worst
what she wants is unknown
but she always comes back
the specter of darkness
the woman in black
