Yvonne Arnaud Theatre – until 18 March 2023
Reviewed by Heather Chalkley
5*****
Shaw takes a contentious subject and lays it out for all to see. Originally written in 1893, even today we find the story hard hitting. This is the story of resourceful women in a patriarchal society, that forces women to be dependent on men. 220 years later we are still battling for women’s rights with men like Shaw standing right beside us, using the medium of theatre to tell it how it is.
Caroline Quentin (Mrs Warren) takes the range of emotion in this piece in her stride. The pretence as a woman of substance eventually slipping into her native dialect, she takes you on a journey of duality, love and harsh reality. The main character Vivie (Rose Quentin) is determined to make her own way in the world, without having to marry for status or relying on her mothers money. Rose Quentin portrays the strength and vulnerability of a determined woman, when faced with the misogyny of the men she is surrounded by. The relationship between Mrs Warren (C Quentin) and her daughter (R. Quentin) has not been necessary up until now, as long as she has given Vivie the opportunities in life to better herself. Facing old age, Mrs Warren (C Quentin) now sees that she is once again in a vulnerable position, with no one to look after her. The final scenes where this comes to light spotlights the talent of Caroline and Rose Quentin in the heart breaking revelations. Simon Shepherd (Sir George Crofts) is the perfect device to accentuate the position of women of the 19th century. Shepherd flexes between affable and vicious with ease. The ensemble create the mood of the time, with pretence and outward appearance being the norm and of utmost importance. We have some glimmer of hope in Praed (Stephen Rahman-Hughes) who offers a different view to the audience, as an outsider not so much embroiled in the profession of Mrs Warren.
I was struck by the beautiful set created for each scene, cleverly contrived to draw the audience in. The creative team offered a glimpse into a previous world, through costume and the set. In the words of the Quentin’s, this is a piece that is ‘often hilarious and eventually deeply moving’. They have done George Bernard Shaw proud.