THE WOMAN IN WHITE: London

Musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by David Zippel with book by Charlotte Jones, freely adapted from the novel by Wilkie Collins.

Palace Theatre London
Previewed 28 August 2004
Opened 15 September 2004
Currently playing

Maria Friedman was in the show from 28 August 2004 to 28 May 2005.

The Woman in White brings to the stage a plot of terrifying brillance. A handsome young man is stranded at a remote railway cuting. Out of the darkness looms a woman, a mysterious figure dressed in white, who burns to tell a chilling secret.
Two sisters find themselves snared in the web of betrayal and greed, the victims of a flawless crime. Unprotected in a man's world, they will need all their resourcefulness and courage to outwit a villain of overpowering charisma and ingenuity. But they can also rely on the guiding hand of love.

More information on The Palace Theatre.

• Cast
• Production Team
• Scenes/ Musical Numbers
• Reviews from the Press
• Links

"When Friedman in particular is on song, the score soars" Benedict Nightingale, The Times (16 September 2004)

"Lloyd Webber's chiller is good enough to haunt the West End for some time... Marian - sung with superb ardour by Maria Friedman" Paul Taylor, The Independent (16 September 2004)

"...Andrew Lloyd Webber's best score in years... Trevor Nunn's visually vibrant production.... deploys visually stylish designs by William Dudley that use kaleidoscopically shifting projections to convey the story's multiple settings... Maria Friedman as Marian, although forced into playing the role of the self-sacrificing, love-hungry spinster, renders the role with dignity and style." Michael Billington, The Guardian (16 September 2004)

"Maria Friedman is a great musical actress... Although Friedman is far too pretty for the role [of Marian Halcombe], she does at least bring moments of electrifying intensity." Charles Spencer, The Daily Telegraph (16 September 2004)

"Set to be a dazzling white hit... Maria Friedman has the best of the music, and is suitably feisty as the half-sister who leads the avenging women. Webber and Nunn have delivered exactly what the West End always needs - a soaring, lyrical, romantic drama whose every scene lends itself as if by magic to precisely the kind of music that Lloyd Webber writes best." Sheridan Morley, The Daily Express (16 September 2004)

"Lloyd Webber's music, never before so classical and operatic, becomes hypnotic and slowly unveils its melodies... The singing, throughout, is excellent, with some thrilling close harmony passages and Friedman and Crawford excelling in a sprightly duet." Quentin Letts, The Daily Mail (16 September 2004)

"The Woman in White is brilliantly performed... Maria Friedman delivers a standout performance" Bill Hagerty, The Sun (16 September 2004)

"The show is carried by Maria Friedman's fine, emotionally-charged Marian and [Martin] Crewes, who displays a terrific vocal range when he puts Walter's bleeding heart on display." Nicholas de Jongh, The London Evening Standard (16 September 2004)

"William Dudley's set is a masterstroke... Maria Friedman is excellent as the feisty Marian" Sarah Hemming, The Financial Times (17 September 2004)

"This is a big, big triumph, a very palpable hit, no question. Andrew Lloyd Webber makes a majestic return to the musical theatre. In fact, The Woman in White is more than a musical: it is a big, powerful popular opera, both romantic and spectacular; a thriller; a swaggering, flamboyant Victorian melodrama; a visual feast; a tempestuous story of love and intrigue; a great, arching narrative, brilliantly told.... [Maria] Friedman gives a star performance, warm, glowing and captivating." John Peter, The Sunday Times (19 September 2004)

"There's no disputing the overwhelming power of Maria Friedman's dazzlingly-sung performance as the sister of the woman who disastrously marries Glyde, or the fine musical tapestry of Lloyd Webber's lushly beautiful score." Mark Shenton, The Sunday Express (19 September 2004)

"It's certainly worth hearing and watching the terrific Maria Friedman as the hoyden (that's to say, clever) heroine: punchy, sensual and in sweet voice." Susannah Clapp, The Observer (19 September 2004)

• Michael Crawford International Fan Association
• The Woman in White

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