Oxford Playhouse is currently playing the rarely performed play by Edward Albee, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The power, passion, anger and volatility were brought to life famously on screen by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in 1966.

The play is set over three hours and fifteen minutes with two intervals. Although with the immense passion, tempers and emotional depth within this adaptation time simply fell away as the audience is drawn into the tempestuous situation between the warring married couple.

It’s 2 a.m when married couple Martha (Katy Stephens) and George (Matthew Pidgeon) fall through their front door from a night out at the University, a party hosted by her father. Martha breaks the news to George that they are about to receive guests (Leah Haile) and Nick (Ben Hall), who have recently moved to the University. After all Martha’s father told her to make them feel welcomed so why not start as you mean to go on!

At 2 a.m., with copious amounts of alcohol drunk by all four of the “friends”, it’s inevitable that things are not going to end well as people often become less inhibited and more honest when intoxicated.

What begins as goading and slight annoyances induced by alcohol between Martha and George, soon descends into a toxic and vile game of one-upmanship. They loathe, love and depend on each other in equal measures. Martha appears to have the upper hand through her Father’s position but don’t underestimate the dowdy-looking George, he isn’t a pushover.

Katy Stephens is formidable bringing out Martha’s range of emotional outbursts and falling into a vulnerable state at times takes you by surprise. Martha is a tough character to bring to life in the same way that she is written in the original play and takes a phenomenal actor to do the character justice. Stephens takes the audience by surprise on various occasions when she breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience directly.

Nick and Honey appear to be fresh-faced newlyweds with good prospects and a good future ahead of them. However, the demons they have been covering up surface through alcohol and the volatility of their hosts. Nothing is off limits to hurt each other with.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf isn’t an easy watch and if you’re hoping for a happy ever after then this isn’t for you. However, if you want to see four top-class actors performing a challenging play then look no further and you will not be disappointed. I left feeling exhausted by the on-stage battles and emotional turmoil taking place I can’t imagine how emotionally exhausted the cast are by the time the curtain falls.

A fantastic adaptation directed by Mike Tweedle and a fascinating academic set designed by Liz Ascroft that everyone whose involved deserves to feel proud. A definite must-see masterpiece.

For more information about Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and future productions at the Oxford Playhouse please use the link below.

Five Stars.

Photo credit Craig Fuller.

https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/news/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf-opening-night