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Divinely funny and still pertinent to female writers and actors today. Summary
Rating
Excellent
Maybe it’s because I’m of an older generation, but I defy any female writer or actor not to identify with the struggles for recognition experienced by Joanne Baillie (Eva Feiler) and Mrs Siddons (Rachael Stirling). Siddons, as she was generally known, didn’t shoot to the fame and adoration she later experienced, and following a less than sparkling first performance at Drury Lane she did her time in the provinces honing her craft. Eventually, as an acclaimed actor, she took her rightful place at Drury Lane, having by this time a failed marriage and seven children, five of whom sadly died. Performing her signature role of a bereaved, downtrodden wife in The Fatal Marriage, how could she not have brought to that role her personal experiences. She was famous for the emotion she portrayed, stirring the female members of the audience to tears and, with the recognition of their own situations, empowering them to bring about change. A 19th century MeToo, deftly demonstrated by the unwanted physical advances of her brother, Kemble, to her dresser Patti, beautifully played by Anushka Chakravarti. The female power struggle continues throughout the play with Mrs Larpent (Sadie Shimmin), making her own decisions about which plays should be performed, but signing them off in her husband’s name and her daughter, also played by Eva Feiler, having to feign madness to escape a controlling husband and in the process losing her children.
Rachael Stirling’s amazing performance in the play encapsulated Siddons’ frustration at having to work with her less than capable brother, juggling her domestic situation and the need and desire to have parts that were more fulfilling and mature; something that she eventually found in collaboration with a female writer, which was unheard of in the theatre of that time. Stirling managed to make us laugh at the absurd peculiarities of working in the theatre, while at the same time drawing us into the obscene fates of women who dared to want a different life.
But let’s not forget the men. Dominic Rowan asKemble, Siddons’s brother, was both hilarious in his over-the-top period productions of Macbeth and The Fatal Marriage, and sinister in his quest for power and recognition at the expense of the women. Equally hilarious were the multi-roles of Gareth Snook, who fell with apparent ease into his salacious and conniving characters.
Of course none of this humour, and modern-day relevance, could have been achieved were it not for the incredible writing of April De Angelis, whose obvious research into Siddons and her life shone through the play. As an actor it must have been a joy to experience Anna Mackmin’s direction. The nuance, the small acts, teamed with the incredibly funny throw away lines and heart wrenching situations of child loss, abuse and incarceration, took the audience on a rollercoaster ride through women’s lives then and unfortunately still now.
The staging was beautiful, giving us an experience of the raking that historically was used to ensure that audiences could see all of the acting. The muted colours of the female costumes that came to life when Siddons donned her jackets for the more dominant roles were very effective, especially when juxtaposed with the flamboyant male attire.
The Divine Mrs S is billed as a comedy but it is so much more than that. I left smiling quietly at the fun I’d experienced but also at a job still to be done in terms of female empowerment – Thank you Siddons!
Written by: April De Angelis
Directed by: Anna Mackmin
Produced by: Pam Nichols
The Divine Mrs S plays at Hampstead Theatre until 27th April.
Further information and booking can be found here.
