Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Newcastle)

All too rarely do you get moments in theatre when the direction, cast, set design and story all come together seamlessly, but when it does you see live theatre at its best. This production of Edward Albees’s Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? is one of these occasions.

From the split second Martha (Sian Thomas) and George (Jasper Britton) open their door as they return home from a party, you can just feel all the parts to this piece are in place and you are watching theatre at its best.

The story revolves around newly married Nick (John Hopkins) and Honey (Lorna Beckett) being invited back for a very late night drink. But as hosts George and Martha continually fight with each other, the young couple’s darkest secrets are stripped away, until the edges of truth and fantasy blur beyond recognition. While this is a tragic, car crash of a tale, there is no doubting the biting harsh comedy that produces many laugh out loud moments.

While this play could be classed as a “long haul” (almost three and a half hours with two intervals) it passes in the blink of an eye and I would welcome the chance to sit through it again in a moment.

Director, Erica Whyman, makes every look and move count as the cast bring the story to life on a thrust out stage, with the audience on three sides. While Dialect Coach, Michaela Kennan, ensures the cast have authentic American accents, which never slip for one syllable.

This is a must see production, that must have life well past its run at Northern Stage.