'Tis Pity She's a Whore

The threat of snow later in the evening on Thursday did not deter me from driving to Oxford to see a seventeenth century tragedy by John Ford that I knew nothing about. But I had heard of the company, Cheek By Jowl, who stage mainly modern, and always very physical, versions of classics including Shakespeare. The play has quite a nasty plot, full of incest, violence and murder. And in this production, the women come off worst. The survival of the men (this adaptation ends before they get their come uppance) turns this version into a powerful heartfelt cry against the repression of women. This is reinforced by the dynamic staging where most of the actors are on the stage for many of the scenes. Voyeurism comes to mind.

Director Declan Donnellan (who co-founded Cheek By Jowl with Nick Ormerod in 1981) has brilliantly choreographed the action and the actors have risen to the challenge. There is a superb performance from lead actress Lydia Wilson as Annabella. She is definitely one to watch. I also thought that Laurence Spellman as Vasques was good as a menacing villain, but the whole cast shone.