A special performance of a classic play and a transportation back to Jacobean times

Written by Jacobean playwright John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi follows the fall of  the Duchess at the hands of her brothers. Directed by Rachel Bagshaw we are taken  back in time.  

Set in an intimate theatre, modelled on candlelit theatre’s during Shakespeare’s time, a  simple red stage and painted theatre structure sets the scene. A gorgeous painted  ceiling, a permanent fixture, adds to the atmosphere. The musicians are sat atop the  stage. Cast are dressed in modern clothing with the Duchess in a fabulous feathery and  glittery dress. With the theatre at near bursting point, the play opens with a musical  number.  

A humorous spin is put on this classic. We follow the widowed Duchess as she falls in  love with her steward Antonio whom she has children with much to the dismay of her  controlling brothers. She soon plans for them to escape, sending Antonio away from  court for his supposed crimes, but things take a detour. Ferdinand takes much delight  in giving her a supposedly dead hand belonging to Antonio and seeks to take his  torment of his sister to another level, in the hope of sending her mad. After much  repenting for their actions towards their sister, Ferdinand soon battles with his mental  health over his guilt and Bosola seeks to save Antonio, who unknowingly is making his  way back. As it is with most plays written in the time, it ends in tragedy.  

The use of candlelight is something special. Six chandeliers move up and down  throughout the play and candelabras are introduced by the actors, capturing the  darkness of this play. In particular after the intermission, whereby the plot takes a dark  turn, so does the lack of lighting during poignant times, offering a visual representation  of the characters plight and the inevitable doom.  

With a running time of nearly 3 hours (including an interval) it can be hard to follow the  play, especially if you are unfamiliar with it. But the lines appeared on the stage wall  which made it a little easier to understand the language. The absorbing performances  from the actors, with them appearing in and out of nowhere amongst the audience as  they would have done in Shakespeare’s time, and a modern twist on the play makes for  an enjoyable performance. As an audience member, one can feel like they have been  transported back to Jacobean times, watching the latest play.