Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Harold Pinter Theatre, March 8, 2017
Wowzers. Not sure you’ll see anything better than this this year. Astonishing performances and direction.
The story – Martha, daughter of the Dean and George, History professor, are a co-dependent alcoholic married couple who drink heavily and then take pot shots at each other, using each other to score points in cruel and nasty ways.
Their love/hate relationship is violent, vicious and vile.
Into their web of games, lies and drink they invite a young couple who have recently arrived on campus. And already drunk and bruising for a fight we witness their sorry evening together. It’s scary and real.
Imelda Staunton plays frustrated, angry once-vixen well. She’s cruel and shrill and then frail and vulnerable. She’s a woman truly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She’s the reason I booked this. I wasn’t disappointed.
Conleth Hill, he of Lord Faris fame (but I first saw him brilliantly sparring with SRB in Shakespeare on the Olivier stage where he shone and was magnificent).
He. Was. Mesmerising.
Quietly seething. Hunched. He allows Martha to dominate at first before pulling the rug from under her and dominating in the cruelest way. A masterclass. He should get the Olivier next year.
Luke T and Imogen P hold their own skilfully as the young couple you realise are destined to turn into this sad pair. This is their warning.
The power of the narrative. The brilliance of the acting. This is not fun and froth. Yet it’s fabulous.
5/5 Standing ovation (a rare Hitchen moment)
