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:

Glenn Meads - 17 April 2012

"Love is a game we play when we get time off from work" - one of many delicious lines in Sarah Frankcom's excellent production of August Strindberg's Miss Julie. 

As this is a Strindberg piece, you might be expecting a long, depressing piece of theatre. Due to the beautifully slow burning pace, a trio of excellent performances and David Eldridge's new modern touches (from a literal translation from Charlotte Barslund) - this Miss Julie is far from maudlin.

What begins as an exploration of the classes and what happens when a servant begins having an affair with the lady of the house - soon becomes something far less cliched than you would imagine. This is partly due to the central performance by Maxine Peake as she plays the title character with conviction and imbues her with a sturdy, predatory and knowing quality in the first half and becomes more submissive, as the pla...

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Latest User Review

Polly Carey - 26 April 2012:

The best thing at the R Ex for years. Maxine Peake and Joe Armstrong have a connection on stage that electrifies. I've seen this play before and remained unmoved by the gender and class histrionics. This production makes the play glow like fresh thing, thank you David Eldridge for your hand in this Strindberg translation. I'm still in the world of this play a day later. See it if you can....

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