Review: Perdita, Old Red Lion Theatre

Perdita follows the life of Mary Darby Robinson, who rose to fame for her acting career and scandalous life, earning her celebrity status in her own lifetime. Sophie Todd’s play takes the audience on a chronological depiction of her journey from submissive wife to autonomous, self-sufficient writer, actor and feminist. 

Todd’s play is evidently a passion project. It is well-researched and thorough in its writing, though this is often to its detriment. An hour and a half is a short time to encapsulate this tumultuous, chaotic life story, and it shows. The first act focuses on Robinson’s early life, when she is married as a teenager to a lustful husband whose deceit lands her in jail. The second act looks to her character growth as a strong-minded, independent woman. The play’s chronological narrative means that the pace becomes very choppy and fast, which is a lot for audiences to take in and digest. It also means that the more tragic elements lose their emotional gravity. Instead, the play would benefit from selecting certain aspects and diving further into them. It would have been particularly nice to focus on her work championing the rights of women, which feels rushed over towards the end of the play.

Todd also plays the titular character of Mary, and does so with excellent force. The juxtaposition between traditional, submissive wife and cheeky, promiscuous trailblazer is convincingly depicted with strong acting skills, and she particularly shines as Mary matures into confident self-assurance. Emma Zadow and Kevin Martin Murphy accompany Todd well, adding a surprisingly comedic spin to the tale that brings to mind the recent film adaptation of Emma. They both depict a variety of characters with nuanced performances, but the dialogue and staging sometimes result in shouty, loud lines that grate against Mary’s characterisation.

The set design is good – substantial without being overdone – and is used in a variety of ways by the actors to aid visual storytelling. Voice-overs, too, are used to introduce each segment of Mary’s life and help to move the narrative along. There were a few technical glitches, like sounds being played early and missing cues, though this did not faze the cast. The moment someone started clapping fifteen minutes before the end, perhaps due to a brighter light being cued, was particularly remarkable, but the cast powered through as if it had not happened, with a focus and perseverance that is commendable. 

What lies at the heart of Perdita is a remarkable tale of strong-minded female autonomy. With obvious passion and diligence, the play is written to highlight a historical figure through both comedy and tragedy. It is a promising production that, with some tweaks to the script, could transform into an insightful, powerful celebration of Mary Darby Robinson’s life.

Written by Sophie Todd
Directed by Freja Gift

Perdita has completed its current performances.