Julie - The National Theatre Live

Never having seen Stringberg's Miss Julie, I did see Patrick Marber's wonderful version called After Miss Julie at the Donmar Warehouse in 2003. But here we are, fifteen years later and a Julie for today. And a very short and sharp drama it was too. Cutting out (to my ears) the dreadful modern party dance scenes, would have brought the running time down to a little over the hour. 

This modern interpretation by writer Polly Stenham (her first adaptation) and director Carrie Cracknell works really well as an up to date version of the classic original. You do get what they were trying to say about the latest dynamics of power, money, race, immigration and sex. The heart and soul of this play is the damaged anti-heroine Julie. However, my big problem (not that which most of the critics found in their disappointment) was the drugs Julie was sniffing and swallowing throughout. Her constant scratching tells it's own tale. To me, this was the whole problem with her character which overwhelmed and, crucially, explained her situation. No wonder she complains of having no money. Her wealthy father knows what she would have spent it on.

So no poor little rich girl, but a drug fuelled, smart, arrogant, stupid, wilful, damaged, gorgeous, confident thirty something as she tries to find some interaction with the help in the form of her father's chauffeur and the maid, both immigrants, both educated, attractive and clever. But we never know enough about them. Surely we needed more from the two of them early on in the proceedings, even though it was obvious there was a need to get Julie on stage. So what are we left with? Good dialogue and a splendid presentation.

Then the performances. Vanessa Kirby is outstanding as Julie. Do we feel sympathy for her? All the time I just wanted to get her in rehab. Her sparring with the terrific Eric Kofi Abrefa as Jean is well done and is definitely convincing. I just wished we had seen more of the only other member of the cast. Thalissa Teixeira is excellent as the Brazilian maid Kristina. If only we had more of her interaction with the other two. An actress with a bright future.

The set is almost too good and too fancy for such an intimate play. The screen in the top picture occasionally lifts to reveal the party dancing. You would think these "friends" would damage the place, but you would not want to tangle with Eric. More muscle than Anthony Joshua. But I found it too distracting from the drama. I was glad when the background hum finished with the reveller's departure.

Cut out the drugs and the party, find an small theatre (The Donmar again?), write a lot more stuff at the start, use the same actors and bingo. That would be a superb prospect. But what was strange on the night was that the huge Screen 1 was almost deserted, probably just a couple of dozen in the audience. It should have been shown in one of the smaller screens. I just hope this does not reduce the number of live screenings.