This superbly constructed classic, written by award-winning Edward Albee, marks him as one of America’s leading playwrights. Not for him the epic battles between politicians or corporations, instead he has honed in on the subject of a troubled relationship within a marriage made in hell. Through the ensuing domestic violence, he has created a powerful and intelligent examination of the human condition.
Royal Exchange regulars Barbara Marten and Philip Bretherton play the pivotal roles of Martha and George, the warring factions who are locked in a battle full of hatred and self-disgust.
Marten plays the bitterly disappointed daughter of the Head of the American College, where her husband works. In a finely judged performance, she handles Martha’s drunken deterioration at a party as she flirts outrageously, embarks on a series of bizarre games and taunts her husband to breaking point.
Philip Bretherton plays the long-suffering George who is eventually goaded into reluctant retaliation by his drunken wife. It is a beautifully controlled performance.
The embarrassed guests, newly arrived on campus are Nicky, played by Michael Begley, who unintentionally attracts Martha’s interest whilst Joanne Froggatt plays his rather naïve wife Honey.
In Sarah Frankcom’s emotionally charged production, the close proximity of the audience to the actors in this theatre-in-round, reinforces the intimacy of this marital combat zone. But the pace needs tightening in this brutally powerful, verbal and physical struggle for survival.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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