Review: The Vegan Tigress, Bread and Roses Theatre

One of the greatest joys of theatre is what it can teach you about the world, whether it be different cultures and viewpoints or, in this case, forgotten historical figures. The Vegan Tigress brings Mary De Morgan to light, a writer who was friends with William Morris, Burne-Jones and Rudyard Kipling. But enough about the men, this play wants to shine a light on an incredible woman that we should all know about, and her remarkable, intriguing and fascinating stories.

Playwright Claire Parker, who also plays Mary de Morgan, sets her play just a couple of years before Mary’s death, when she’s living alone, writing fairytales and going to Suffragette meetings. We meet her in what appears to be quite an ordinary Edwardian life, were it not for her radical viewpoints. By refusing to marry and have children, and making a living from writing, she has been a disappointment to her would-be mother-in-law Lady Tuttle, who just happens to be dead and appearing as a ghost in Mary’s home.

The writing is sharp, funny, and fast-paced. What could be a long two hours on hard seats, in a stuffy small theatre, absolutely flies by. It’s clever and engaging, with the story passing with ease between Mary and Lady Tuttle’s Edwardian lives, and one of Mary’s fairy tales brought to life. It was with childlike wonder that I soaked up this story, completely enraptured by Claire Parker and Edie Campbell.

Parker’s writing and Campbell’s acting skills meet wonderfully in the character of Lady Tuttle. She is an Edwardian Margo Leadbetter, breaking the fourth wall to admonish us for our outfits, before turning her attention to Mary. She is such a formidable character and it’s a testament to the strength of the actor that, on seeing Campbell at the bar after the show, I failed to recognise her! In moments when Mary’s fairytale is brought to life, Campbell transforms into a bird, a tree and a tiger – she’s utterly mesmerising to watch.

Parker’s Mary De Morgan is charming, her passion for her lifestyle and choices infectious. It’s remarkable how much of it strikes a chord with the women of today, where the choice not to have children is still met with Edwardian values, or worse. The play makes you itch to find out more about this remarkable woman. And when she’s not bringing Mary to life, Parker’s transformation into a talking turtle during the fairytale sequences is honestly one of the funniest character transformations you will ever witness on stage.

The biggest joy in watching Parker and Campbell on stage is the amount of fun they are obviously having, it’s the main reason the show is so easy and compelling to watch.

Sound effects are used throughout the show, and sometimes in a small space these can feel a bit clunky, but not in The Vegan Tigress. The cast don’t miss a single beat, there’s not a tiger roar that isn’t matched by Campbell’s gaping jaw. And the sock puppet bird is remarkably believable. Direction by Tracy Collier, stage management by Elisabeth Tooms and Miles Jones, and the marvellous cast all combine to bring this unusual play to life.

A play that flits between Edwardian England and the bizarre fantastical world of Mary De Morgan’s imagination could easily have been confusing or dry, but Parker’s writing, the dynamism of the direction, and the acting skills ensure that this play is a success. It’s not often that a play completely removes you from a sense of time and the worries of the world waiting for you outside, but The Vegan Tigress does just that.

Written by: Claire Parker
Directed by: Tracy Collier
Produced by: Lynchpin Theatre
Lighting design and stage management by: Elizabeth Tooms

You can hear more about this show in our recent podcast with Claire Parker here.

The Vegan Tigress plays at The Bread and Roses Theatre until 1 March.