Miss Julie

Synopsis

Midsummer's Eve, Sweden, 1888. The Count's daughter and his valet cross social and sexual boundaries; and must face the consequences. While the servants' party continues in the barn outside, aristocratic Miss Julie is drawn to the kitchen and to the socially ambitious Jean, her father's valet. What starts as a harmless flirtation, soon descends into a ferocious power struggle and battle of the sexes, from which neither can escape.

Our Review:

Paul Couch - 16 April 2013

I first reviewed August Strindberg's Miss Julie in 2001when Armstrong Arts brought the 1888 bodice-ripper to the now-dark Spa Pavilion at Felixstowe. At least Michael Armstrong’s surreal version had some oomph in it, even if it was sparsely attended and not theatreworld’s finest hour. Denis Noonan’s revival (for UK Touring Theatre) is just plain tedious.

It’s a three-hander, of course and, with a cast that small, you’d think it would be a pretty simple task to take a classic play, translate it from the author’s native language, and present it credibly. Miss Julie, however, seems fated to suffer lacklustre direction, clumsy translation, and some performances that wouldn't be out of place in an am-dram church hall production.

Apart from anything else, this tale of class division is just so dated. Without the contemporary context of such stable-mates as Yael Farber’s apartheid South Africa-set Mies Julie, it’s pretty much irrelevant exce...

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