An every good production of a still powerful play.
Brenda Blethyn was suberb, the OBE she was recently awarded was an insult,
it must be Dame Brenda before long.
Rebecca Hall was superb, her West End Debut. I'm not sure what
Drama training sher has received, but a glittering career surely beckons.
The only sour note was Laurance Fox-he was absolutelty awful-and he went to RADA! - USER: Whatsonstage.com (141.241.30.254)
08 Jan 03
A good production, there was no sign of the 'lethargy' as describe in previous reviews. Brenda Blethyn was outstanding, however, if it wasn't for her presence, the play could have easily slipped into the mediocre. An enjoyable and amusing production and worthy of recommendation - USER: Whatsonstage.com (195.152.82.10)
30 Dec 02
This play is still shocking over a 100 years after it was written because prostitution is still as shunned now as it was then and because there are many other aspects of society that we are still prepared to sweep under the carpet. I agree that the design was poor - this fad for using photographs as an excuse for a design must surely stop. However, there is some wonderful acting. Brenda Blethyn is a terrific mixture of grandeur and pathos. Rebecca Hall commands the stage - she has a great future. And how marvellous yet again to see Richard Johnson adorning a production. This actor is nothing less than a national treasure. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (195.93.33.12)
23 Nov 02
It is just brilliant. I went to see it just to see Brenda but found the whole cast to be fantastic. - USER: Whatsonstage.com (62.49.186.66)
07 Nov 02
Urgh! Tis DIRE! Cheap and nasty, this is like a substandard fringe show under a proscenium arch. Terrible cheap design coupled with some awful performances and shameful direction make this quite a turkey. Rebecca Hall is good though. - USER: Whatsonstage.com
30 Oct 02
Apart from two scene stealing scenes from Brenda Blethyn which were almost like monologues this was a rather dull evening at the theatre. The set changes between scenses 1 and 2 and scenes 3 and 4 were a bit amateurish and you could hear all the clattering going on behind the curtain. Thankfully it's not an overlong evening which is just as well. - USER: Whatsonstage.com
27 Oct 02
Quite simply is this a fantastic production of a wonderful play. - USER: Whatsonstage.com
21 Oct 02
I found it quite disturbing. See my review http://www.analyticalq.com/journal/j021019.htm - USER: Whatsonstage.com
21 Oct 02
Shocking play. I hated it. - USER: Whatsonstage.com
An amazing production, a fantastic cast, superb direction ... what more can I say? - USER: Whatsonstage.com
17 Oct 02
This is a wonderful production of a great play. Shaw was a genius and Peter Hall has given this great play the production it so richly deserves. I thoroughly enjoyed Lady Windermere and The Royal Family and am pleased to say that both Peter Hall and John Gunter have done themselves proud once again.
The cast gave a stunning performance - Blethyn was fantastic. She has really proved herself to be a really great stage actress. - USER: Whatsonstage.com
17 Oct 02
FANTASTIC! Brenda was quite simply amazing and were all of the cast. Big congratulations to Rebecca Hall and Laurence Fox for make outstanding West End debuts. Don't miss this one! - USER: Whatsonstage.com
17 Oct 02
I agree that brenda blethyn was marvellous (which is why i give it so many stars), but that the production overall is disappointing. Better than either hall's Lady Windermere or Royal Family but not a patch on his great work of the past. I do think he has got lazier in his direction, but he *is* in his 70s now - this doesn't diminish his remarkable career or achievements - but maybe he should think about slowing down. or concentrate now on being a figurehead/champion/mouthpiece for theatre, which he is wonderful at. Or maybe he just needs to choose his proejcts more carefully. he has not reinvented these three fusty plays - perhaps they didn't need to be revived in the first play - but what he does with greek tragedy is indeed revelatory, as with bacchae earlier this year at the National -sensational. as for mrs warren, rebecca hall did well for her debut, laurence fox was awful (and awfully annoying), richard johnson was good as always, peter blythe seemed uncertain what he was doing there. they didn't hang together as an ensemble, the sets really are horrendous, the scene changes embarrassinlyg long and amateurish and some of the blocking was just clumsy - in the final scene, several characters spend much of thetime hidden behind two huge desks rather than coming out centre stage - what's that all about? with all that said, i did enjoy it, and bravo blenda blethyn indeed. I loved her impassioned performance and her artful slipping through the accent classes. please, ms blethyn, do more theatre. what I'd really like to see her in is something modern - the equivalent of a mike leigh film on stage. Somebody, write her a part now! - USER: Whatsonstage.com
13 Oct 02
I am sorry but did everyone else see a different show! This production of Mrs Warren’s Profession is a rare treat and one of Peter Hall’s best productions for a long time. The cast play it fast and furious and Brenda Blethyn returns to the West End in triumph in a role that could have been written for. She is surrounded by a very strong cast including Rebecca Hall who more than rises to the challenges of the final scene. It is a shame there are so few productions in the West End of this quality! - USER: Whatsonstage.com
12 Oct 02
This truly is an awful production. Sir Peter Hall has gradually lost his touch. Like the "Romeo & Juliet" he directed for the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, this "Ms. Warren" is just equally disastrous--plain & dull!! - USER: Whatsonstage.com
11 Oct 02
Saw this production last night. Totally agree with your WOS reviewer. I thought the whole event was lack lustre and shockingly lacking in tempo. As Vivie, Rebecca Hall is a perfect example of why nepotism can sometimes do more harm than good to a young actors career. Ms Hall was woefully out of her depth - strutting round the stage and gesturing madly like a sixth form drama student. This is her first part on stage and her father has been blinded by his paternal instincts - she drags the play down at every turn. - USER: Whatsonstage.com
11 Oct 02
I know this show was written over 100 years ago but I still found this production very dated. I know none of the issues in the show are going to shock people now, even though the show was banned when it was first written, but I'm sure the show could have had a bit more clout and been a new and fresh production for the 21st century. There were four scenes (two in each act) but none of them were especially rivetting. The only scenes worth watching were the ones with Brenda Blethyn and I found myself longing for her to come back on stage and revive things. The actress playing her daughter, whose west end debut it is, was also very good. I suppose the show is worth seeing but I found it rather boring at times. - USER: Whatsonstage.com
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