The Good Soul of Szechuan

Synopsis

Three gods visit earth to find out if humans are living up to their high moral standards. Only Shen Te, a good-hearted prostitute, gives them shelter. Her reward is money with which she opens a tobacco shop. The gods watch to see if her natural goodness can restore their faith in humanity. But how can good people be good in a world full of want and need?

Our Review:

15 May 2008

The setting for Bertolt Brecht’s great Marxist parable The Good Soul of Szechuan is the capital city of the Chinese province currently decimated by Monday’s earthquake. Three gods descend from heaven to find a good person whose existence will justify the world continuing.

What they find is misery, poverty, homelessness and despair. Only Jane Horrocks as the prostitute Shen Te offers them shelter. They give her money she uses to start a tobacco shop which is then overrun by spongers and drug addicts.

Shen Te’s goodness – the “soul” label instead of the usual “person” is a fair rendition of Brecht’s “mensch” - is rewarded with an accusation of killing her cousin and alter ego, the ruthless capitalist Shui Ta.

The audience enters a reconfigured auditorium which is a balsa wood-panelled cement factory. This striking design “statement” by Miriam Buether is then left unexplored for the rest of the evening in [Richar...

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Latest User Review

Gareth James - 31 May 2008:

A strange atmosphere is created even before the play starts. You walk through a long corridor onto the stage which appears to be a factory. Within minutes, people in pink overalls, white wellies and blue hats & masks are walking around in silence carrying sacks of cement to the same 8 notes played repetitively on an onstage piano. It creates an unreal, surreal world for Brecht's parable which, though not a great play, in this production grips you from start to finish. This is another of Miriam Buether's astonishing designs, completely transforming the Young Vic into a plyboard factory. Director Richard Jones has breathed new life into a 60-year old slice of agitprop. I found Jane Horrocks somewhat disappointing, but there are some great performenmace, particularly from Adam Gillen as Wang the waterseller. The Young Vic is becoming indispensible, but they need to find a way of liberating the foyer bar from post-work yahooers as the audience has to virtually climb over them (and their bags) to get to the loo - any thought of getting to the bar is a fantasy. I appreciate it makes money for the theatre, but its ruining the audience experience....

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