“Stellar performances in a tight script on the shocking repercussions of unchecked societal misogyny”
The programme of Some Woman reveals some appalling statistics around the state of society today – that reports of violence against women and girls has increased 37% since 2018, and that reports of sexual harassment and assault on Britain’s rail network have also increased 37% since 2015.
In a play that is sometimes unbelievable in its subject matter, facts like these make it clear that central character Julie’s stark reality is more plausible than an audience might care to admit. The catalyst of Some Woman is a young boy verbally abusing a random woman on a train platform, and that random woman deciding to fight back. But the real meat of the play lies not on the platform or in the courtroom, but within the walls of Julie’s family home.
A working mother whose husband walked out, with adult children who still rely on her support and affirmation, and a newly promoted incompetent (male) manager to deal with at work, Julie (Anne-Marie Duff), is ultimately just some woman. Every woman can relate to being overworked and underappreciated, both in the home and in the workplace. Studies show working mothers spend as much time child-rearing and home-making as their stay at home counterparts in the 1970’s, plus they now also have jobs.
Playwright Helen Edmunson has so perfectly captured in this tight 110 minute play, the results of men being able to act however they please, with women always left to pick up the pieces. Direction by Blanche McIntyre is tight and dynamic, with this tense one act play giving us short, high-energy scenes that keep the stakes high and the audience constantly on the edge of their seats.
Duff is a complete powerhouse, the focal point of every scene and demonstrating an impressive character arc with incredible depth. The ensemble around her are all strong, although some have a tendency to use volume to portray their emotions, which leaves some scenes devolving into one-note shouting matches.
Tobi King-Bakare provides some fabulous comic relief as Nathan, a well-meaning man who always has a piece of advice for what a woman ‘should do’. The play does stray into the realms of implausibility during the climactic penultimate scene, although this clearly serves a purpose it does take away from the legal probability of the central court case.
A fantastic and extremely shocking portrayal of what it has always meant to be a woman, the National Theatre explores the ramifications of a woman who refuses to be quiet.
Some Woman plays at the Dorfman Theatre until 21 November, 2026. Tickets are available here.