Mrs Warren's Profession

Synopsis

Miss Vivie Warren is a very independent girl, but then she can afford to be; she has a scholarship at Cambridge and a generous monthly allowance from her mother. She is also a very modern young woman; nothing shocks her. So how will she react when she finds out where the money comes from? Written in 1894 and banned until 1925.

Our Review:

14 May 2009

One of his “Plays Unpleasant”, George Bernard Shaw wrote this in 1892, but it was considered just too scandalous and improper for the stage by the Lord Chancellor. It did not receive a production until 1902 in a club theatre which did not need his approval.. It was an immediate sensation which sent the critics reeling.

What Shaw did was draw attention to a truth – the way women were undervalued, overworked and underpaid in the menial jobs that were open to them and were forced into prostitution in order to stay alive. He also pointed out that so-called respectable women were sold into a kind of prostitution by being forced to marry for money. What the general public was unaware of was that the whole profession was big business and men like his character Sir George Croft were happy to take 35 per cent of immoral earnings. Not only that, but properties rented by brothel owners were often church property so churches also benefited from the exploitation of the women...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

Kit Russell - 16 May 2009:

I thought the entire cast were very strong and played the drama and humour equally well. The play is still incredibly relevant, little has changed and the callous arrogance of the wealthy aristocrat Sir George Crofts in particular presages the current parliamentary scandal. A must see if you enjoy a clever, funny and thought provoking play....

Read more and add your own review