On Saturday 11 February, around 50 Year 9 students hopped on a bus and went to see a production of ‘The Woman In Black’ at the Fortune Theatre in London and have a look around Covent Garden. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all involved! The Gothic play was exceptionally atmospheric, especially in such a small intimate theatre, and we all loved the jumpscares, misty smoke effects and sudden screams.
Harriet B
Not familiar with the story, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when Year 9 set off to see the ‘Woman in Black’ in the West End. We boarded the coach at Ivry Street and after an uneventful trip down the A12, we luckily had an hour or two musing around Covent Garden before the show started. Mrs Blunden had warned us that the production was scary, so in some ways we really should have been prepared. However, the gripping tale which followed both thrilled and terrified us at the same time. The Woman in Black is a complex, clever, cunning, compelling and traumatic play which is absolutely worth the watch: we thoroughly enjoyed it. With many thanks to Mrs Blunden, Mrs Carvell, Miss Blake, Miss H-T and Mrs McFarlane for such an amazing trip.
Edward P
The ‘Woman In Black’ trip was amazing and I had so much fun. The journey there was seamless as the traffic wasn’t too awful, considering that it was London, and we arrived there punctually. This allowed us around 2 hours to explore Covent Garden Market. The shops were like any other London shops – too expensive – but I managed to find a coffee shop that sold crepes and I knew I had to go for it. The taste of that Nutella Crepe still lingers on my tongue. We then made our way to the Fortune Theatre and after finding our seats, we waited with hope for a piece of theatre that we knew would leave us shaking. The reimagined classic by Susan Hill totally exceeded our expectations with every single detail making us jump, from the crash to the “Woman In Black” ominously rocking on an armchair. The limitation of actors to an astounding number of just three only added to the stunning performance’s brilliance. I spent the whole of the next day describing the details of the trip to my parents to the point that they can probably recite it to you. I am grateful to the teachers who accompanied us, for keeping us under control and also urging us to come along to see a production that is impossible to miss.
Souparno L
The day started well with a smooth trip, leaving plenty of time for a look around Covent Garden before heading to the Fortune Theatre. It was a lovely atmosphere in central London with plenty of classic Covent Garden entertainment. Hannah R befriended a dinosaur, much to everyone’s delight! We also managed to find a ‘Frozen’ swinging bench encouraging us to ‘prepare to let it go!’ No prizes for guessing what that was all about! After a while, it was time to head to the theatre. Before the show started, we decided it was essential to buy an enormous tub of popcorn, which, of course, we had finished before the interval! The show started and within a few minutes everyone was laughing. However, things darkened significantly from there on, with the woman in black slowly creeping down down the aisle from behind us, causing much shock. As we were nearing the end of the second half, people were screaming with fright. The use of ‘pre recorded sound’ made the experience all the more immersive, as well as the fact that nobody knew where the actors – including the woman in black – were going to suddenly appear from, leading to many jump scares! Despite being decidedly absolutely terrifying, the play was thoroughly enjoyed by all, with the main two brilliant actors thoroughly deserving the applause they received. A big thank you to Mrs Blunden and all the other staff who made the trip possible, including our lovely bus driver.
Elsie C
