The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse by Caroline Bird.

Maxine Peake stars in the World Premiere of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse at Nottingham Playhouse. Whitehouse was a formidable figure in the 1970s, who was an art teacher and conservative activist, with strong religious views indoctrinated through the religious cult she married into.

Mary Whitehouse campaigned vehemently against social liberalism and was openly homophobic. Although these views would have been more common during the 1970s.

Samuel Barnett does an incredible job throughout the performance playing all the other characters who encountered Mrs Whitehouse right up until the end where he is her “gay” carer in the nursing home where she died.

During Whitehouse’s time with the extent of her complaint letters to the British media and harmful judgment towards anyone who didn’t follow her “correct” lifestyle narrative, the damage would have been horrendous and caused severe marginalisation for many men in the gay community.

Especially after she successfully prosecuted the homosexual newspaper Gay News for publishing a blasphemous poem. These scenes feature in the play and show the influential status that Whitehouse held at the time. Although I do question why she was reading the Gay News in the first place!

There were raucous boos from the auditorium at the start of the scene when Whitehouse met Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to discuss matters took me by surprise. Thatcher wasn’t quite the ally that Whitehouse expected when she tried to persuade the PM to ban sex toys! Although they did meet again during the 1980s.

The brief encounter between Whitehouse and her estranged Mother is written in by Caroline Bird with compassion. Bringing into question whether Whitehouse was rebelling initially against her parents’ divorce and her Mothers new newfound freedom and fell into the arms of the cult which swept up a vulnerable and impressionable young adult.

Director Sarah Frankcom brings the many individual characters played by Barnett to life. The varying roles mean the audience is never quite sure where he will appear from next, stage left, right behind or through the auditorium. Frankcom has made excellent use of his accomplished versatile acting skills. Barnett and Peake are equally the stars of this new play and have a strong rapport on stage.

For more information about The Last Stand of Mrs.Mary Whitehouse and future productions at the Nottingham Playhouse please use the link below.

Four Stars.

Photo credit: Helen Murray.

https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/