Theatre / Reviews
Review: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal Bath – ‘A stunning production’
Marriage requires collusion and compromise to survive, whether it has lasted for 23 years or has only just started.
Edward Albee’s 1962 play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? explores the self-deception, misdirection, safety and comfort at the heart of many relationships. Lindsay Posner has delivered the most stunning production of it I have ever seen.
George and Martha, a mid-level, bitter college professor and his frustrated wife, invite Nick and Honey back for after party drinks. Nick is a young buck who has joined the faculty of New Carthage College, which is presided over by Martha’s father. Honey is his deceptively simple wife – they already have a secret, but it pales to nothing in the presence of the intricately woven tapestry of mistruths created by the older pair.
is needed now More than ever
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf – Elizabeth McGovern (Martha) and Dougray Scott (George) – photo: Johan Persson
Over the course of the night the couples savage each other and themselves, as the alcohol flows and their deeply hidden pain emerges. Martha is chronically disappointed in her husband, so her only joy is in telling stories about their son. Honey is physically frail but with more cunning than her husband understands.
The party ends with a devastating revelation. It’s a brutally honest testament to the power of lying.
Elizabeth McGovern and Dougray Scott play George and Martha – each with a combination of playfulness and visceral cruelty which is astounding, as they turn on a dime between flirting, spitting hatred and co-dependency.
Elizabeth McGovern (Martha) and Dougray Scott (George) – photo: Johan Persson
McGovern is achingly mesmerising in her fragility disguised as strength, and Scott delivers a terrifying rollercoaster of a performance, which only faltered fleetingly as he reached for lost lines. It feels mean to mention this and I only do so because he had us in the palm of his hand and we felt for him.
Charles Aitken and Gina Bramhill, playing Nick and Honey, match them both brilliantly as they observe, fear and eventually imitate their elders.
All four of them were at the top of their game. Watching actors listen to each other as characters and support each other as performers is a rare and valuable treat. As an audience, we knew exactly how lucky we were to be there.
Elizabeth McGovern as Martha – photo: Johan Persson
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is at Theatre Royal Bath from January 13-February 11 at 7.15pm, with additional 2pm matinee shows on Thursday and Saturday. Tickets are available at www.theatreroyal.org.uk.
Main photo: Johan Persson
Read more: Phaedra and Minotaur, Ustinov Studio – ‘A passionate performance which aches with desire’
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