Mary Page Marlowe – a new play from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts – recently made its UK debut in London at the Old Vic theatre, and there has been much excitement about the cast. The titular Marlowe is played by five different actresses, with Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon playing her at her oldest, and Oscar-nominee Andrea Riseborough portraying her midlife years. Marlowe’s various stages of youth are played by Rosy McEwan, Eleanor Worthington-Cox and Alisha Weir. A non-linear play spanning 100 minutes (no interval) we gather numerous insights into Marlowe’s life through various non-sequential scenes.
It is wonderfully staged and directed, and there are some superb performances from the sizeable ensemble cast. The Old Vic theatre space has been completely transformed: the show is staged in the round, meaning everyone is close to the action. Intimate scenes, such as when Mary Page is in the family home discussing divorce with her two children, greatly benefit from the audience’s proximity to the stage – we feel as though we are in the living room with them, as flies on the wall during what is quite a difficult conversation.
We’re never quite offered a fully-realised version of Mary Page – instead, we are given a series of snapshots of her life spanning a period of some 70 years, then left to connect the dots for ourselves at the end. It’s quite thought-provoking really: raising questions about the role of a daughter, wife, mother; about the role of women in society at various stages of her life; and then it never quite gives a satisfying answer, leaving the audience to draw their own conclusions.
We enjoyed our evening with Mary Page Marlowe – it provides an interesting case study of who we are and who we become, and the moments in life that shape us. The play offers us a poignant portrayal of a flawed and complex woman, and Mary Page’s nuances really come through during the brief runtime thanks to some superb acting performances. It’s not on for long, but it’s well worth checking out if you can make it down to the Old Vic in the next couple of weeks.
GAY TIMES gives Mary Page Marlowe – 4/5
More information can be found here.
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