REVIEW: Mrs Warren’s Profession on the Theatre Royal Bath

The play’s suppression for thirty years appears fairly ludicrous right this moment with Mrs Warren’s success as a brothel Madam and co-owner with homes in Brussels, Vienna and Budapest alluded to fairly than explicitly mentioned. The shock right this moment is that Shaw imagined this entrepreneurial success again within the 19th Century in what seems to be concurrently a dig at capitalist exercise and likewise the hypocrisy of the criticism of prostitution at a time when there have been restricted feminine employment alternatives and girls have been anticipated to marry for monetary safety in return for intercourse with their husbands whereas those that sought monetary independence or escape from poverty by prostitution have been regarded down upon. Its social commentary should be related right this moment, however the play lacks the wit of Oscar Wilde, and the manufacturing all the time hit all the suitable notes. 

It’s sumptuously staged in a design by David Woodhead with a pointillist backcloth and intentionally too small-scale detailed pastoral buildings of Vivie’s cottage and the Reverend’s Church and arched gate however these create awkward moments of entrances for laughs that appear misplaced. Is it meant to replicate the small, minded attitudes of the characters? They distinction sharply with the full-scale gray actuarial workplace truck of scene 4 the place Vivie is predicated and after 2 days has her identify on the door! The scene modifications are elegantly and easily dealt with to take care of the quick tempo of the present.

It was advertising ploy to solid Caroline Quentin and her daughter Rose because the mom and daughter on the centre of the play though maybe their offstage relationship means we by no means actually believed the estranged and troublesome onstage relationship. Mrs Warren hardly is aware of her daughter however has ensured her earnings have been properly used to teach her to a excessive commonplace and provides her independence and ambition past the norms of the society of the day. Vivie rejects presents of marriage and units out to carve herself a profitable severe profession. When she learns how her mom has earned the cash, she appeared neither shocked nor shocked and when she is cursed by her mom on the finish, she appears fairly self-satisfied and happy with the consequence. Too typically the supply will get amusing fairly than highlighting the tragedy of their relationship.

The males of the play are conventional stereotypical caricatures with out depth. Best of all is the Reverend Gardner performed by Matthew Cottle a parish priest with a previous that haunts him and he brilliantly captures the distinction between the dutiful father and vicar in Scene 1 and the dishevelled man the morning after in scene 2. His son Frank, performed by Peter Losasso, is the younger lothario chasing after Vivie however he doesn’t fairly seize the sleek foppish appeal of a gambler in search of a lifetime of luxurious.

Simon Shepherd is Sir George Cottle, Mrs Warren’s co-owner of the Brothels, an disagreeable rich egocentric playboy who regardless of maybe being not sure if he’s her father makes a play for Vivie. Stephen Rahman-Hughes is a middle-aged architect. Praed claims he is aware of nothing of Mrs Warren’s enterprise. He appears very nervous in Scene 1 continually adjusting his glasses on his nostril and his function appears a bystander to the motion.

Mrs Warren’s Profession is a basic play which is properly staged and elegantly dressed on this manufacturing which opened in Bath and excursions to 6 southern playhouses till April 2023. But its story of the feminine financial energy in a patriarchal society and critique of standard morality of the time comes throughout as barely cartoonish and the light laughs masks the political goal of its writer. It’s an pleasing comedy of manners and an amusing tackle the attitudes of over 100 years in the past. There should be extra work to do however we’ve moved on from the easy presentation of selections ladies face in society right this moment.

Review by Nick Wayne 

Rating: ★★★

Seat: Stalls, Row I | Price of Ticket: £44