Author: leahj

presented by Alex Pearson Productions in association with Glass Splinters;

REVIEW: Edward II

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

“This creative, engaging, and accessible production of Marlowe’s queer historical tragedy dives into themes of loyalty, duty, and betrayal.”

In this stripped-back production, Alex Pearson Productions brings Marlowe’s stirring tragedy to life; this small cast and intimate theatre setting places the focus squarely on the human relationships at the heart of this political drama. Marlowe’s play, inspired by historical texts, explores the downfall of the 14th- century English king Edward II in a rebellion largely driven by Edward’s unrelenting preference for his ‘favourite,’ Piers Gaveston, and Edward’s neglect of his governing duties. This all-female cast adds aunique texture to a story traditionally about the love between two men.


With just six actors presenting a play which has over thirty roles in its original form, each actor (besides Natalie Harper as Edward II) takes on a handful of characters to populate the many moving parts of Edward II’s court and the various groups plotting against him. Clear and consistent costuming choices by designer Eve Oakley, as well as some well-utilised accents, helped make each character easily identifiable even as several of the actors swapped between four different roles throughout the show. This cast also has a strong grasp of Elizabethan language; their clear, natural, and emotional delivery of Marlowe’s lines made a complex plot very accessible.

Harper’s performance as Edward II was most powerful in the moments when her royal composure was allowed to slip and reveal Edward’s true emotions–from rage at the mistreatment of Gaveston to fear and eventually despair as Edward faced his fate. Elinor Machen-Fortune brought a lively versatility to her performance as Gaveston, with confidence verging on arrogance as Gaveston faced off with the English lords, melting into a more tender intimacy during more romantic scenes with the king. Machen-Fortune’s dynamic delivery of each phrase truly brought Marlowe’s poetic language to life. Alison Young brought a sweet, demure energy to the cast-aside Queen Isabella, and Srabani Sen was chillingly sinister as the calculating Mortimer. Victoria Howell’s expert grasp of pacing and ability to command the stage made each of her characters memorable–especially the scheming Spencer–and Emma Louise-Price added some
necessary moments of light relief with well-placed comic timing.

Hannah Clancy’s sound design and Steve Lowe’s lighting added atmosphere to a minimalist set, with some especially immersive moments in the Kenilworth Castle dungeons, with a dripping, echoing soundscape and cool, murky lights. Alex Pearson’s direction trimmed Marlowe’s text down to a 90- minute runtime, though there were a few moments in which the pacing of the scenes seemed to lull slightly, especially in a few moments when several characters delivered lines facing entirely out towards
the audience. While this formal blocking can sometimes help evoke a courtly atmosphere, at times it seemed to defuse the tension between the characters onstage. The choice to trim down the cast also created one or two awkward moments in which a scene might have benefited from having some soldiers nearby to escort some troublemakers away, but also offered some opportunities for new and exciting
thematic explorations. The doubling of Gaveston and Lightborne felt particularly meaningful, as it draws links between both men’s integral roles in Edward’s fate. Overall, Pearson has crafted a moving and accessible version of this iconic tragedy, which will draw in both newcomers to the world of early modern drama and seasoned Marlowe fans alike.

Edward II is running at the Jack Studio Theatre in Brockley, at 7:30 PM Tuesdays through Saturdays until 18 April 2026.

REVIEW: Mary, Queen of Scots

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

The tale of two iconic figures told through dynamic choreography, a fresh and energetic score, and engaging performances

Anyone who thinks ballet isn’t a vibrant, innovative, and lively part of today’s art world has clearly never seen a Scottish Ballet production. Their current production of Mary, Queen of Scots brings together dynamic choreography, a fresh and energetic score, and engaging performances to create an immensely absorbing show. The ballet explores the complex, fraught relationship between Mary and her cousin, Elizabeth I; the story is viewed through Elizabeth’s memories as she nears the end of her life. Although the story sweeps across several decades of incredibly complex political history, choreographer Sophie Laplane has a gift for communicating stories through dance. Each character was immediately recognisable through their style of movement, and there wasn’t a single dull moment throughout the piece. This level of artistry is especially striking considering that this is Laplane’s first full-length narrative ballet; she’s absolutely one to watch.

The immensely charismatic performances of the entire cast, in tandem with James Bonas’s direction, brought Laplane’s choreography vividly to life. Roseanna Leney was immensely watchable as Mary, bringing real complexity and depth to a controversial historical icon. Elizabeth I was portrayed by two dancers – Charlotta Öfverholm as the queen later in life, and Harvey Littlefield as the young queen at the height of her power. This split casting created the perfect vehicle to explore Elizabeth’s journey through her memories, as the older queen watched, and at times interacted with, her younger self. Öfverholm delivered a raw, powerful performance, ranging from almost grotesque anger in some moments to intense, heartbreaking vulnerability in others, to drained absence at the end of her life. Littlefield was mesmerising as the younger queen; their regal poise was perfectly suited to portray Elizabeth in the larger-than-life political image that she created (sometimes even taking on a literally larger-than-life stance on stilts). Artistic Director Christopher Hampson’s commitment to breaking down gender barriers in ballet is especially meaningful in a show about Elizabeth I and (tangentially), James VI & I, as both rulers led significant cultural shifts in how gender was perceived and performed in early modern England. Evan Loudon and Bruno Micchiardi as two of Mary’s suitors (the English Lord Darnley and the Italian courtier Rizzio) were especially engaging in a brief duet exploring the tension inherent in their shared interest in Mary. Thomas Edwards as Walsingham brought a slick, unsettling energy perfect for this scheming character, as he grows from Elizabeth’s obsequious advisor into a manipulative force to be reckoned with. Underscoring the whole narrative was Kayla-Maree Tarantolo, as ‘Death’ in the form of a jester. She inhabited the role with an eerily cheerful energy, dancing around the characters as a personification of their doom.

The ballet’s new score, composed by Mikael Karlsson and Michael P. Atkinson, was the heartbeat of the show. The music primarily alternated between rhythmic, percussive sections in scenes focusing on Walsingham’s spies or the more formal English courtiers, tense and urgent strings in moments of uncertainty, and swelling passages mixing brass and strings to soundtrack the characters’ most emotional scenes.

The show’s costumes, stage, projections, and lighting each had their moments to shine as well. Elements of Soutra Gilmour’s costume and stage design will feel familiar to anyone aware of her recent work with Jamie Lloyd on productions like Sunset Boulevard and Evita – namely, having the heroine in a stripped-back black outfit, often set against simple monotone backdrops. However, Gilmour’s overall design was wonderfully creative; set pieces were constantly whirled on and off stage, creating a dynamic backdrop perfectly suited to this time-traveling exploration of memory. Through her costuming, Gilmour created a striking, visually cohesive blend between early 20th-century aesthetics and 16th-century historical fashion, creating an overall look reminiscent of an Elizabethan twist on a silent movie. Tarantolo’s performance as Death in a bright green Pierrot-style clown outfit was a particularly defining feature of this cinematographic design, with elements of choreography reminiscent of the Charlie Chaplin era of physical theatre. Projections by Anouar Brissel and lighting by Bonnie Beecher added some truly breathtaking moments of visually rich theatre, using silhouettes and responsive projections to bring even more texture and life to the set.

This production is a brilliant testament to the playful, vital nature of modern ballet – at times surreal, at times intensely human, and always captivating.

REVIEW: The League of Improv – With Guest Comedian Lou Sanders

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Rating: 3 out of 5.

A quick-fire evening of comedy based on details from the audience’s lives

The League of Improv’s shows bring a celebrity host together with their small troupe of improvisers to create off-the-cuff scenes inspired (albeit very loosely) by audience interactions. This is a bold undertaking, particularly over a 2-hour time slot, and the challenge can vary wildly depending on the audience’s contributions. This month’s show featured Lou Sanders as the guest host, whose characteristic quirky humour gelled well with the troupe’s penchant for spinning audience details into a zany set of scenes.

If you’ve never seen an improv show before, this improv format offers a relatively easy entry point: the host will chat with audience members, perhaps asking about their relationships or jobs, and then the improvisers will craft a few short scenes. The Phoenix Arts Club–the League of Improv’s new home–offers a cosy, intimate setting perfect for this interactive style. Lou Sanders’s easy-going, conversational style of comedy suited this role well, as she zeroed in on a variety of audience members’ unique relationships, from competitive mothers to a group of unusually friendly neighbours. The group has clearly developed an easy rhythm of tagging each other in and out of scenes, and occasionally prompting the actors in the current scene to jump forward or backward in time to help flesh out the storytelling. There were a few moments, though, where one character would refuse to get on board with another’s ideas or explanations, which set up a feeling of slightly unrealised potential within the scene. Of course, the old rule of ‘yes, and’ doesn’t need to apply to every single moment in an improv show, as that doesn’t always leave much room for conflict and tension between characters, but sometimes pulling the scene back towards what’s ‘realistic’ can hamstring an idea that might have been a fun flight of fancy.

The highlights of the evening were a few really memorable improvised characters, ranging from a fraudulent restaurateur who changed the subject every time he was about to break into song, a coworker waxing poetic about his ‘platonic’ friend’s soulful eyes, and an unsettlingly lecherous cat. Granted, each show is unique, so these characters won’t make a reappearance, but the next show will have an entirely new set of scenes, no doubt populated with equally memorable figures. If you’re looking for some quick-fire laughs, bring some fun facts about yourself and see what magic might be created!

REVIEW: Skeleton

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

A gripping hour of spooky storytelling, perfect to kick off the Halloween season.

As the leaves start to change colour and crunch underfoot, we have finally entered ‘spooky season’–when many of us seek out an extra thrill or two as the long nights draw in. Writer and performer Lucy Spreckley’s new horror play, Skeleton, draws audiences into a complex web of memories, half-truths, and delusions.

The set is bare as audiences enter, with a single chair set amongst a scattering of autumn leaves on the floor. Over the first few minutes, Spreckley establishes a relaxed and quippy style of storytelling, crafting an illusion of comfort which is gradually shattered as the story’s tone slowly shifts into a much more ominous register. Spreckley has a masterful grip of cadence and pacing, shifting the mood easily between the dark subject matter and the humorous moments which punctuate the plotline with a few moments of light relief. With some compellingly original imagery and descriptions, Spreckley has created an engaging and memorable narrative voice, which truly shines in her ability to paint a striking portrait of each new character with just a few phrases. With some eerie sound effects and a few powerful lighting choices, this is simple storytelling at its best.

Skeleton asks us what it takes for us to reveal our secrets – fear? The desire for connection? For absolution? This twisted tale weaves together inspiration from an unlikely pair of sources: Shakespeare’s ghostly apparitions, who often appear to hold murderers accountable for their crimes, and an early 20th-century invention designed to elicit confessions from reticent criminals. Like many of the spookiest short stories, the erratic and, at times, feverish narration leaves the audience piecing together fragments of the plot; the narrator drops hints and flashbacks about horrors from their past which refuse to stay buried. This could easily be developed into a longer-form exploration of the character’s descent into distraction, which could allow a bit more time to flesh out these memories, but it’s also perfectly effective to leave the audience wanting more.

In today’s climate, where so many figures refuse to take accountability for their choices and misdeeds, Skeleton is a satisfying reminder that no one can truly outrun their past and, as Shakespeare reminds us, ‘the truth will out.’ If you’re looking for a way to kick off the Halloween season, which will have you both laughing out loud and jumping out of your seat, this gripping thriller is a deliciously spooky choice.

This show runs at Etcetera Theatre until 19th October. Tickets here.

REVIEW: Lucia di Lammermoor

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

A creative and intimate staging of this classic Donizetti opera dives into the tragic emotional world of two star-crossed lovers

Lucia di Lammermoor, composed by Gaetano Donizetti, ticks many of the quintessential opera boxes – dramatic melodies, star-crossed lovers, and a fatally tragic ending. For lovers of Romeo and Juliet, Donizetti’s adaptation of a 19th-century novel by Sir Walter Scott will hit all the right notes. However, this new, stripped-down production by Barefoot Opera offers a much more personal style of storytelling than a large-scale opera house. In the Arcola Theatre’s intimate space, the opera’s classic larger-than-life characters are brought to life with a very human, realistic touch.

The centre of this tale is the titular, ill-fated Lucia, whose secret romance with her brother’s sworn enemy is discovered, leading to a forced marriage and, eventually, madness and death. Soprano Beren Fidan delivered a captivating performance as Lucia; her bright, clear tone shone consistently throughout her range, and she deftly navigated Donizetti’s bubbly coloratura passages with precision and grace. Even when she wasn’t singing, she embodied a quiet intensity which filled the stage. Her passionate yet somewhat absent lover Edgardo was sung by Jack Dolan, who brought a buoyant youthful vigour to their initial courtship and a powerful emotional depth to Edgardo’s tender, heart-rending lament for his lost love Lucia after she has reached her tragic end. The main agent in Lucia’s torment is her protective yet controlling elder brother, Enrico, brought to life by Philip Smith with a commanding energy and a rich baritone. Enrico, realising that Lucia needs a politically advantageous match to secure their family’s safety, is willing to do whatever it takes to marry Lucia off to the respectable Arturo (played charismatically by Eamonn Walsh). As Lucia’s mother has just passed away, she is left grief-stricken and rudderless, a state which leads her into Edgardo’s arms for comfort, and later to the misguided chaplain Raimondo (sung by Alastair Sutherland) for advice on how to cope with her brother’s schemes.

Director Rosie Kat intended this production to delve into Lucia’s mental and emotional world, exploring how grief and the loss of a support system can drive an ordinary person to extremes. Kat’s innovative staging choices, blended with visually intriguing set design from Fenna de Jonge and moody lighting from Cara Hood, helped draw the audience into the psychological drama through an almost Hitchcockian aesthetic (and creative uses of LED lights to bring Lucia’s emotions into a tangible form). One of the most surprising aspects of this production was the almost-folky orchestration – some might not expect that a piano, double bass, saxophone, and accordion could bring an elaborate 19th-century score to life, but this small ensemble’s sound was warm, full, and charming. This ensemble, placed just behind the actors on the small stage, also wove in and out of the story itself, as Laurence Panter (musical director and pianist), Alistair Sutherland (accordion) and Lydia Kenny (saxophone) also stepped in as various characters throughout the opera (with Lucy Mulgan keeping the pace on the double bass).

If any fans of classic opera are looking for an entry point into more modern stagings, this is the perfect example of what a more minimal, intimate production can offer – bringing a stark, confronting reality to a tragic tale.

C Camilla Greenwell

REVIEW: Jane Eyre at Arcola Theatre

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

This contemporary operatic take on a classic story is visually rich and musically dramatic, brought to life by a talented group of young singers

Contemporary operas can seem daunting or inaccessible to many theatre-goers, but familiar stories like Jane Eyre can offer an easier entry into newer music, and this dramatic and visually rich production is a great starting point. This new production from the Arcola Theatre and Green Opera is a compelling and energised retelling of Charlotte Brontë’s dramatic Gothic tale of the fraught love story between young governess Jane Eyre and her brooding employer Edward Rochester. With a small, seven piece ensemble accompanying a cast of eight, this is an engagingly intimate production. Fans of earlier, more traditional operas may not connect immediately with John Joubert’s 20th-century composing style, but the tension inherent in the harmonies does complement the drama of the plotline, and there are some truly lovely soaring moments, particularly in duets between Jane & Mr. Rochester. While Kenneth Birkin’s libretto skips over quite a bit of the novel’s plot to focus on a few select scenes, the supertitles help ensure that the audience can catch the important details as they’re mentioned by projecting the text of the opera above the actors.

Soprano Laura Mekhail’s performance as Jane Eyre was an absolute highlight of the opera – in addition to her clear and sophisticated vocal performance, she brought an intense and earnest focus to the role which breathed new life into an iconic character. Her bright, expressive eyes draw you into Jane’s internal conflicts, and she delivers each line with intention. Baritone Hector Bloggs was compelling as Edward Rochester, and moved easily between the different facets of Rochester’s character – at times the threatening captor to his first wife, Bertha, and at times the flirt who draws Jane into their romance. Bloggs is a much younger Rochester than usual, but this does allow him to bring an earnestness to the character which is often absent in portrayals where he’s characterised as a more jaded middle-aged man. Bloggs’s voice fills the theatre powerfully during more dramatic moments, but he has a deft grasp of dynamics, and took several opportunities to shift into a much softer, more tender tone to develop Mr. Rochester’s more desolate and conflicted side.

Another standout was Steffi Fashokun as Bertha Mason, Mr. Rochester’s first wife who he keeps locked in his attic. Bertha is present but unspeaking throughout the opera, so she communicates entirely through movement. With Steffi Fashokun’s contemporary dance training and movement direction from Alex Gotch, Bertha holds the audience’s focus throughout as a compelling, tortured presence. While the ‘woman in the attic’ is often written off by both Mr. Rochester and many readers as a crazy woman – a burden Mr. Rochester is forced to bear – Steffi moves through scenes as a sort of tortured sprite, asking audiences to question how much her occasional outbursts are caused by any malice, and how much they might be caused by the tragedy of her situation and captivity. At times she seems to be pulled and pushed by invisible hands, calling to mind historical descriptions of witchcraft or possession, and yet her most frantic moments happen as she watches her husband slowly falling for another woman.

Eleanor Burke’s direction and Emeline Beroud’s set and costumes help create a rich visual world in which these tense interpersonal dynamics play out. The production design centres on the red threads of fate and destiny which at times trap and pull each character in different directions. Above the stage, in her attic, Bertha Mason works at a blood red tapestry, like a modern-day Penelope weaving in captivity. Hanging from the ceiling are several props representing key moments or themes from Jane’s life, and characters interact with these at key points in the show. Within the minimal yet intimate space of the Arcola, these props help create a tangible landscape evoking the 19th century world of the novel. The immediacy of the small cast singing so closely to the audience also allowed the singers to play with a much greater dynamic range than some traditional operas in a larger space.

The rest of the small cast delivered powerful vocal performances, with many of them taking on two or three characters to fill out the various chapters of Jane’s life. With promising young talent both onstage and behind the scenes, this production is an exciting glimpse of the next generation of opera.

REVIEW: Idrîsî Ensemble

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

“A brilliantly vibrant evening of music breathing resounding new life into the sounds of the medieval Mediterranean.”

Even the keenest historians might not expect a recital of medieval Mediterranean music to sell out one of Camden’s most popular venues on a Friday evening in June, and yet, the Idrîsî Ensemble’s recent concert at Koko was packed to the gills with a wildly enthusiastic audience. With a programme of music that they have diligently researched and arranged, they transported the audience through a varied set of Mediterranean cultures and singing traditions, with joyful applause ringing out after every single song.

Opening act Laura Misch began the evening with an ethereally atmospheric set, blending her smooth, full vocals with timeless melodies on a saxophone. She was joined for this performance by the Idrîsî Ensemble’s Konstantinos Glynos on the kanun, an instrument with echoes of the modern lap harp or zither, with a warm, slightly metallic sound. Glynos’s expert arpeggios and ornaments complemented Misch’s creative songwriting beautifully, with shimmering notes adding texture to Misch’s mellow tunes. The saxophone is often boxed into very specific genres of jazz and easy listening, but Misch’s music offers an intriguing alternative.

The Idrîsî Ensemble opened their set with a single singer on-stage, and then one by one, each member of the ensemble joined in to create a stunningly resonant a cappella sound in ‘Congaudeant,’ a pilgrimage song. This is the first known written composition for three voices – a fitting choice to begin the evening. After two unaccompanied pieces, the ensemble was joined by Glynos on kanun, Lucine Musaelian on the vielle (a stringed instrument similar to a viola), and Oliver Dover on the kaval (a traditional Balkan flute) and clarinet. The breathy tones of the kaval,crich warmth of the vielle, and percussive tones of the kanun blended beautifully, and offered a truly varied palette of accompaniment for each different song. Many of the medieval trills and flourishes in these pieces have survived in folk music across the broader Mediterranean area and might sound familiar to listeners of Scottish or Irish folk; other pieces might remind modern listeners of the Arabic influences present in the Mediterranean soundscape as well. Noémie Ducimetière carried the melody beautifully in many of the pieces, with a clear, agile voice, while Dunja Botic lent her powerfully rich tone to other songs, like the hauntingly mournful lament – “Mallorcan Sybil.” For “Alismono,” a Greek polyphonic chant, the entire ensemble moved into a tight-knit cluster at the front of the stage, so they could better hear the tightly-intertwining harmonies. Polyphonic music, with harmonies which dance and flutter around each other, requires real focus and connection within an ensemble, and the Idrîsî Ensemble pulled this off wonderfully.

Other highlights included the Corsican songs “Dieus sal la terra” and “Stabat Mater,” both of which were transcendently beautiful – both in the original melody and in the arrangements for these voices. The last piece of the evening, a Corsican “Tribbiera,” is a traditional wheat-threshing song, in which singing, shouting, and whistling create an enchanting atmosphere that perfectly illustrates how music has woven into the rhythms of daily life for so much of human history. 

Director and vocalist Thomas Fournil has pulled together an incredible ensemble of musicians; you can tell that each performer is not only incredibly skilled, but deeply passionate about seeking out and sharing these obscure pieces. The study of early music can often be a frustrating one, with very little documented evidence about so many aspects of medieval sounds and practices. But this ensemble’s dedication to researching and reinterpreting these pieces has clearly paid off, as they’ve created a programme that is connecting viscerally with modern listeners. There are countless voices who question whether medieval music has much modern relevance, especially more ‘esoteric’ music like early polyphony. This evening was a brilliant affirmation that yes, London does have huge, attentive, and joyful young audiences ready to journey through musical history.

REVIEW: Havisham

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

A skilfully-told backstory for Miss Havisham, imagining the youth of an iconic character who is eventually trapped in a tragic moment.

Ghosts and hauntings are one of the most iconic themes of Gothic literature; this one-woman show delves into the backstory of an iconic character who is haunted by her own past, living as a ghostly figure in an eerie, cobwebbed home. In Charles Dickens’s classic Great Expectations, Miss Havisham appears as a living ghost of sorts; she is trapped in the single moment of being jilted on her wedding day. In Havisham, writer and performer Heather Alexander paints a portrait of an abused and traumatised woman whose sense of self was too damaged to survive this betrayal.

Survivors of trauma often describe the same ‘out of body’ experiences that Miss Havisham recalls in her earlier years, as well as flashbacks during which one feels like they’re truly reliving a past moment. Dickens’s Miss Havisham is perhaps the most memorable literary character who is stuck in a past moment like this – even down to having the clocks in her home stopped at the exact moment her heart was broken. Alexander’s narrative adds depth and history to Miss Havisham’s story, creating a richer tapestry of her life before that fateful moment. As Miss Havisham tells her story, she strings flashbacks and memories into a disjointed tale. Alexander’s constant focus and grace as a performer keep the audience right with her, even as the story jumps from year to year of her life.

From the moment she opens her eyes onstage, Alexander fills the stage with a captivating presence. In the story’s darker moments, the audience is absolutely silent, as if holding their breath. Alexander is a gifted storyteller, speaking with expert pacing and cadence, and her wide-eyed gaze keeps the audience rapt. While the imagined plotlines of Miss Havisham’s youth are generally well-trodden aspects of 19th-century girlhood, such as frightening experiences in church and mystifying first periods, Alexander’s commanding performance brings a fresh energy to the piece, and Miss Havisham’s doomed love story brings a strong narrative tension to the second act.

Just as Miss Havisham’s attachment to the past leaves her untethered to the reality of the present, this production (directed by Dominique Gerrard) is not tethered strongly to a specific time or space: Miss Havisham’s story could easily take place very similarly in the present day. The costuming is informed by Regency silhouettes, but only loosely; the overall impression is of timeless, flowing white fabric. The anachronistic song choices pull the narrative towards a more nebulous place of memory, where past and present collapse into one. The lighting design flowed at times into more dreamlike washes of colour as Miss Havisham stepped in and out of different scenes. Whether or not you know Dickens’s original character, this production is a jewel well worth watching.

Notes: This play explores themes of child abuse and sexual assault.This production of Havisham, presented by Emul8 Theatre, ran from 11-15 March at the Jack Studio Theatre in Brockley.

REVIEW: Women Beware Women

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Rating: 3 out of 5.

This bloody Jacobean tragedy explores how unchecked desires can bring about incredible destruction

In some ways, it is easy to see why Thomas Middleton’s early 17th-century play, Women Beware Women, is rarely produced. The plot is highly intricate, and the writing is steeped in the misogynistic attitudes of the time. The moral of this bloody tragedy is simply laid out; untempered lust will bring about the downfall of those it consumes. The title places the blame squarely on the shoulders of women, and indeed, much of the plot centres on women tempting other women into dangerous or sinful situations.

However, these betrayals are always driven by the desires of men; no one escapes judgement after this complicated web of relationships comes to its dramatic and violent end.

Director Mya Grace Kelln has assembled a strong ensemble cast, who deliver this complex piece with a good amount of chemistry and energy, and a compelling grasp of the show’s dark humour. Several creative movement sequences, directed by Isabella Garland, offer some of the most visually striking moments in the show, such as the opening scene of a dance-like wedding ceremony between Leantio (Ewan Bruce) and Bianca (Lani Blossom Perry). This scene of four veiled figures playfully challenging the groom to find his true bride will remind viewers of a similar device in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, and the complex wedding ceremony helps evoke the play’s setting in 16th-century Florence.

Another effective scene sees a foreboding tableau of statues come to life and draw the unwilling Bianca into a sinister encounter with the Duke. This central plotline of the show is based on the lives of real historical figures – Bianca Cappello did live in 16th-century Florence, and she did become involved with Francesco I de’ Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The rest of the plotlines are taken from other historical novels and sources, which Middleton weaves together to create a dizzying array of ill-advised relationships.

The plot’s impact was slightly dampened, however, by some of the production choices. For instance, having a uniformly young cast made the generational dynamics between the innocent young lovers and the scheming older generation harder to visualise. At times, the sound design overpowered the actors, both in terms of volume, and also in one scene where an unevenly looping audio pulled focus away from an otherwise compelling exchange of the Cardinal warning the prideful Duke to repent for his many sins.


Overall, the cast’s grasp of the play’s early modern language was strong, and many of the actors conveyed their meaning with an engaging use of cadence and gestures to make Middleton’s text come to life. A small handful of pronunciation errors did momentarily break the spell of the story, but these could be easily fixed by this cast, as they are clearly comfortable with historic language.

Finally, the visual design of the production was striking but not new – much of the production was quite visually similar to 13th Night’s 2024 production of Hedda Gabler. In both productions, the cast was dressed all in white with a few choice accents of red, and the staging relied primarily on chairs as the only set pieces.

This minimalism does place the focus on the human relationships central to each play, and Kelln has certainly found a visually impactful style, which has served several productions well. It will be interesting to see how her directorial style evolves with time.

REVIEW: The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

A cheeky romp through the misadventures of Emma Bovary, putting a playful twist on the classic novel

Gustave Flaubert’s 1857 novel Madame Bovary is an intimate portrait of a life very slowly unraveling, spanning decades of Emma Bovary’s frustrated dreams and ill-advised choices. The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary – a playful new adaptation by John Nicholson – jumps right into the climax of the story, introducing us to Emma near the end of the novel’s story as she is already deeply in debt and at her wits’ end. The story is framed by the arrival of two ratcatchers (invented for this retelling) who allow Emma to tell her own story much more than she can in the original text. This famously bleak nineteenth-century novel may seem like an odd choice for the holiday season, but this high-energy show has notes of pantomime and moments of actual magic which bring a zesty energy to the tale.

The small French town of Yonville is brought to life by four multi-talented performers, who show off a remarkable range as they portray dozens of different characters. Georgia Nicholson shines as Emma Bovary; she feels perfectly at home in the sultry comedy of Emma’s romantic misadventures, yet brings an earnest grace to Emma’s more tragic moments that keeps the audience rooting for her from start to finish. Ben Kernow and Darren Seed play the two ratcatchers, as well as Emma’s various beaus; Darren Seed is endearingly hapless as the clueless Charles Bovary, whom Emma has married in a misguided bid for romance, and Ben Kernow gives a chameleon-like performance as he portrays each of Emma’s multiple lovers. Stephen Cavanagh plays an impressive fifteen characters, deftly swapping between voices, accents, and gaits to fill in the rest of the town’s population, adding in a few well-timed knowing winks at the occasional chaos this causes.

The set design is simple enough to transform into the show’s many locations, and well-chosen props help round out the world of this rural French village, with design by Marion Harrison and lighting and production headed by Simon Hutchings. In the few moments where the storytelling requires something beyond what’s onstage, clever mixtures of mime and sound design bring a few imaginary set pieces to life. Dan Bottomley’s sound design also offers the characters a chance to playfully interact with the world they’re creating, as they occasionally direct or attempt to alter the sound cues. Kirstie Davis’s direction and Grace Murdoch’s movement direction have created a fast-paced, dynamic jewel of a show which keeps each performer on their toes, whirling the audience along in a dizzying dance. Both fans of the novel and newcomers to the story will find something to love in this irreverent yet tender exploration of what it means to yearn for something more than what your world and position can offer.

The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary, by Ha Hum Ah Theatre Company in partnership with the Minack Theatre, is running until January 11th 2025 at the Southwark Playhouse (Borough).