The play explores the intersections of colonialism, gender roles, and sexual identity, staging a Victorian colonial household against 1979 London. Written in 1978, it premiered in 1979 alongside Amadeus and Faith Healer.
Staging the Divide
The production employs a fractured timeline. Characters age only 25 years despite the century passing between the two acts.
The first half sits in a Victorian outpost in British colonial Africa. Sam Troughton plays the household head, Clive. This act satirizes imperial rigor and family structures.
Characters appear neat and proper. Yet, they are surrounded by the chaos of the jungle. Director Dominic Cooke uses gender-switched casting.
Male actors play the Victorian wife Betty and her son Edward. This shows the performative nature of gender roles.
The second half moves to 1979 London. Characters try to find new societal norms about sexual liberation. Some front-row audience members sit directly around the stage. This creates an immersive 1970s setting.
Ensemble Performance
The cast includes Rebecca Humphries, Eloka Ivo, Tom Mothersdale, Charlotte Ritchie, Ellen Robertson, Stuart Thompson, and Sam Troughton. Understudies include Tom Brace-Jenkins, Izaak Cainer, Dan Furlonger, Skye Hallam, Meg Lewis, and Ola Teniola.
Eloka Ivo portrays the servant Joshua. Eloka Ivo portrays the servant Joshua, a role originally written for a white actor but now performed with what critics described as a dangerously contained anger.
“My skin is black but my soul is white,” Eloka Ivo, who portrays the servant Joshua, announces.
Troughton transforms into a five-year-old character. Critics said his portrayal of a screaming, ice-cream-licking child is a memorable moment of physical comedy.
Critical Reception
Critical response to the revival varies. Proponents argue that Churchill’s work remains relevant today. However, proponents of the production argue that Churchill’s willingness to grapple with complex questions regarding gender fluidity and the legacy of empire makes the work remain piercingly relevant today.
Production Team
The production is staged at the Lyttelton Theatre. Tickets start from £25.
Miriam Buether is the set designer. Samuel Wyer is the costume designer. Jessica Hung Han Yun is the lighting designer. Donato Wharton is the sound designer.
The production features composer Andy Roberts and music director Josh Sneesby. Naomi Downham is the casting director. Penny Dyer is the dialect coach. Shereen Ibrahim is the voice coach. Max Harrison is the associate director. Luke Smith is the associate set designer.
Critical response to the revival has been varied.
