Jane Darby’s exhilarating production of Blue Stockings by Jessica Swale landed with high impact in the Ellis Theatre last week.
Jessica Swale’s brilliant play about the rights of women to graduate at Cambridge, was brought to life by a very talented cast of actors from the Remove to the Upper Sixth.
Jasmine P took on the challenging role of Tess Moffat, navigating the conflicting routes of love and knowledge with a powerful attention to detail and endless energy that catapulted the action forwards. She was joined by the equally well-defined characters of Faye H’s bombastic and hilarious Carolyn, Billie K’s poignant and determined Celia and Hebe F’s obdurate and powerful portrayal of Maeve. These courageous young women were guided by the formidable Mrs Welch played with beautiful poise by Indra G and the inspiring gravitas of Millie A’s Miss Blake. The eccentric Miss Banks was played with comedic relish by Aurelia S cycling around the stage with the enthusiasm of a toddler. All of this was overlooked by the stern and watchful eyes of Gigi S’s Miss Bott, bedecked in a knitted blouse that spoke of more traditional ‘feminine subjects’. Issy I as Willa managed to find the balance between pragmatism and progressive ideas through her cautious yet unflinching support of Tess. The relish and joy present in each of these performances managed to be both highly entertaining and alarmingly thought-provoking.
In contrast to these pioneering women, the established order was staunchly guarded by Arthur K’s commanding performance as Dr. Maudsley ably assisted by his male faculty of sycophants including Ollie P’s Anderson and the fawning Collins played by Rhys B. The voice of progress was well represented in Cristiano M-L’s Radleigh; his beliefs and ideas threatening to derail his academic career. The young male student characters were very well crafted from the refined and clipped wit of Caspar M’s Holmes to the victimised and conflicted portrayal of Edwards by Bear C-J. The romantic yet surprisingly shallow Ralph was played with beguiling charm by Atticus S contrasting brilliantly with the bitter and aggressive Lloyd played with frightening passion by Jim Z-M.
There were some outstanding supporting performances given from the ensemble; Minna K’s twinkling Minnie and courageous Mrs Lindley provided an insight into the wider impact suffrage was having on the progress of equality at the turn of the century. The counter-argument of Chloe R’s outburst proved that this was not simply an issue that could be divided by gender. One of the most moving parts of this impressive production came towards the end of the first act where the reality of Maeve’s homelife came into direct conflict with her academic ambitions. Rohan S gave a powerful performance as Maeve’s brother, Billie, coming to take Maeve home to take up domestic duties after the death of their mother. This confrontation between Maeve and Billie was crafted so well by these two young actors and was a thudding reminder of the challenge that both class and gender presented to academic achievement, especially to an audience that now take such opportunities for granted.
Jane Darby’s intricate direction managed to make fantastic use of Paul Cox’s brilliant pageant arena where furniture, bicycles and actors whirled through the space capturing the frantic picture of a city on the cusp of a political earthquake. Ellen Gifford and Claire Allott’s costumes conjured the late 1890s in detail and were also a wonderful fusion of gender tropes that challenged tradition. They were brilliantly supported throughout the process by Serena B who also gave invaluable support backstage each night for numerous quick changes. Casper Hawkin’s bold lighting design supported the fast-moving switches in location and atmosphere highlighting the energy of Jane Darby’s visual feast.
This was a wonderful play for Marlborough; a triumph theatrically but also a provocative piece that asked us to question both the origins of co-education and its impact on gender equality, as well as its contribution to academic excellence.
My sincere congratulations to the whole company.
David Kenworthy
Head of Drama
