Paradise Green in The Vaults is the perfect setting for The Mad Woman written and performed by Cara Johnston. The smaller alcove theatre platform adds dramatic effect on the belief that she is locked away underground in an asylum for her safety, and other’s safety is not particularly clear as you’d expect from a “mad woman”.
The scenes of the french revolution and places Théroigne de Méricourt stayed and visited are drawn onto six large curtains dividing the stage into three scenes starting at the back. As each one is drawn the stage becomes shorter and cramped until she is finally trapped into the small asylum space where she has been locked away for many years.
These large detailed curtains (pictured above) offer a striking landscape with many intricate details added to the scenes. These impressive works of art have been created by Courtney Miles sister of Cara Johnston.
Desperately writing and gathering materials for the Opera Théroigne is planning to perform on a grand scale. Proving all those wrong who used her, doubted her talent and disregarded her ability to perform.
Johnston decided to bring the story of Théroigne de Méricourt to the stage to allow the actress audiences she had once craved. A thoughtful piece of theatre paying respect to the final days of the actress locked away and unsupervised in the hidden depths of history, long forgotten by many and disregarded when she was alive.
For more information on this production please visit the link below and more about The Miles Sisters productions.
Four Stars.
Theatre, Art and Film Reviews 
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