The Duchess of Malfi
From: Friday, 15th October 2010
To: Saturday, 30 October 2010
Our Review: 
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Synopsis
The Duchess of Malfi is a wealthy young widow. Jealous of her fortune, her two brothers, the Cardinal and her twin Ferdinand, decide she must not remarry. To this end they introduce a spy into her household, the ruthless Bosola. The court of Malfi is a treacherous place, with political, religious and personal allegiances in constant conflict. But the Duchess is blinded to its dangers by her love for her servant, Antonio. When their marriage is revealed her outraged brothers determine on a devastating course of action. Revenge breeds revenge, love turns to hate and a powerful tale of despair and madness inexorably unfolds.
Our Review:
25 October 2010
Through the claustrophobic blackness of Ruth Sutcliffe’s grim, imposing set, glimpses of a giant Caravaggio canvas loom large over the action. It’s a handy metaphor for the whole production: this version of Webster’s bleak tragedy is all about the images.
Director Laurie Sansom has taken the relentless misery of the 1623 text and merged it with the strange, other-worldly music of Webster’s contemporary, the violent and probably insane wife-killer Gesualdo. This combination of unstable talents – not Sansom, you understand – provides the shifting and dangerous backdrop for a performance of equally uncertain elements.
The first thing to say is that it looks magnificent. There’s a consistent vision throughout of decaying decadence in a time of corruption and chaos, and the corresponding decay of the ingenious and complex set works brilliantly.
Equally, the use of five chorus-like madrigal singers on stage to underscore the dramatic action is both vocally impressive and subtly ...
Creative
John Webster (Author)
Royal and Derngate (Producer)
Laurie Sansom (Director)
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