By Lynn Venhaus

With every door creak, candle flicker, wind moan, and eerie shadow glimpse, “The Woman in Black” immerses us in a haunting and unforgettable ghost story.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis has impeccably presented a London West End production that will live in my head for a while, a gripping suspenseful classic Gothic fiction that is best experienced with a receptive audience.

The 1987 play earns its jump scares as an edge-of-your-seat feeling grows, building nearly unbearable tension for a pulse-pounding climax. It is an outstanding example of how our minds process strange things.

Stephen Mallatratt’s clever theatrical adaptation of Susan Hill’s 1983 mystery has engrossed audiences over 30 years. Reminiscent of Henry James’ unsettling “Turn of the Screw,” this is about a haunted house whose terror uncomfortably lurks through the ages. But that’s really only the start of horrifying consequences.

A lawyer, Arthur Kipps, has been bedeviled by a spectral figure in black for years, and to relieve his misery, he has hired a young actor to share his captivating story. He feels it must be told.

While the first act is much slower as it sets up the action, the second act ramps up the shocks and scares so effectively, we are totally enthralled in mutual shivers.

Our imaginations work overtime, and that’s such a wonderful communal feeling to be bonded with total strangers (and friends and family) over our fears, waiting for the next spine-tingling moment – or gasp or scream or the occasional giggle and sigh in relief.

This chilling tale unfolds as a play within a play, and the duo becomes ensnared in a terrifying sequence of events in an isolated old house near misty marshes. David Acton, who plays the tormented Arthur Kipps, works in tandem with James Byng as “The Actor,” to convince us we should be very afraid.

Acton and Byng’s superb storytelling deliver the well-timed frights – and the welcome doses of humor. Both actors were in productions at London’s Fortune Theatre, and their interactions are flawless.

As a young solicitor, doing estate legal work for his firm’s clients, Kipps traveled to a remote village in northern England to sort through the documents of the deceased Alice Drablow, who owned Eel Marsh House. Byng portrays his younger self, lonely without his fiancé Stella nearby.

 He writes letters home and begins to read some of Mrs. Drablow’s alarming personal correspondence. The house’s unfortunate location means that it is cut off from the local village when the tide comes in. Kipps notices the villagers’ unwillingness to talk about the Eel Marsh House, but he does get assistance from local guys Samuel and Jerome (and an unseen dog named Spider).

One dark night, Kipps is alone with his thoughts in the creaky old house. Or is he? For the audience, the ‘flight or fight’ feeling escalates, not to mention the overwhelming atmosphere of dread. (This is the period where people were clutching others).

As Kipps becomes aware of another presence, whoa. It’s truly a marvel of Swiss watch timing how exemplary the presentation is.

Because of the show’s emotional heft, another actor, Ben Porter, can perform both roles in repertory, and sometimes does. He was nominated for a Drama League Award in 2020 for distinguished performance in this play.

Original director Robin Herford has seen to it that every eerie detail isn’t missed on The Rep’s thrust stage. He has worked with touring director Antony Eden, associate director Maggie Spanuello, designer Michael Holt, lighting designer Anshuman Bhatia, sound designer Sebastian Frost and vision producer Imogen Finlayson.

The masterful use of sound and lighting adds to the creepy atmosphere, enhancing the minimalist set and ensuring the horror is believable in every moment. These visions will linger.

This production is being produced in a special arrangement with PW Productions, the original West End producers. After opening in London in 1989, it was performed there until March 4, 1923, for 13,232 shows, the second longest-running non-musical in West End history, second only to Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap.”

Pemberley Productions, a tour booking company in New York and Chicago, has produced and general managed “The Woman in Black” in North America since 1918.

The effective shadows and the unnerving scares are in the well-crafted storytelling. With its twisty tricks unveiled, the play is a thrilling treat, as satisfying as the best horror movies. It’s as if we’re all at a bonfire, mesmerized by the evil conjured up at a most entertaining evening. The execution is sensational, and the pair of actors make it a must-see spellbinding experience. I’m leaving the lights on.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents “The Woman in Black” Oct. 8 – 26 at the Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Road, St. Louis. To purchase tickets, visit www.repstl.org or call the box office, Monday – Friday noon – 5 p.m.  at (314) 968-4925.

The play is 2 hours with a 15-minute intermission. Post-show discussions follow the Sunday, Oct. 19 and Wednesday, Oct. 22 performances.