Reviews : Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf
It would be an interesting experiment to run WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF in real time: commencing at 2am and concluding shortly after dawn. Sarah Frankcom's revival does not go quite that far, though it does have a red-eyed, insomniac quality which leaves you light-headed with exhaustion.
When first performed in 1962, Edward Albee's play was welcomed as a breath of fresh air - although its breath carried heavy traces of alcohol. Pallid biologist Nick and his timid spouse Honey naively accept a night-cap from George and Martha, a vituperative pair of New
England academics, who launch into a repertoire of predatory party games known as Get the Guest, Humiliate the Host and, ultimately, Alienate the Audience.
Barbara Marten brilliantly negotiates Martha's terrifying mood swings, while the passive-aggressive tactics of Philip Bretherton's browbeaten George literally leave him the last man standing. There is fine work also from the victims: Michael Begley's flummoxed Nick and Joanne Froggatt's extravagantly bouffanted Honey, a woman whose fragile persona seems held together with hairspray.
It is a gruelling and not always edifying spectacle, but Frankcom and her company create a vivid evocation of a long night's journey into day.
The Guardian
Even if you've seen the film version of Edward Albee's American masterpiece which starred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, nothing compares to the stage version, which ruthlessly examines this exciting battle of the sexes.
The close proximity of the audience to the actors at the Royal Exchnge means that it's almost as if we are the unseen guests at the drinks party in the home of warring couple Martha and George, who are locked in a marriage made in hell.
The clever construction of Albee's play means that, through a series of games, he gradually reveals why this once loving couple have become consumed by hatred and self-disgust, as he unlocks the bedroom door into their past secrets.
The roles are so well-written that they are absolute gifts for the actors and director, Sarah Frankcom, has chose her cast wisely. Barbara Marten, a previous Manchester Evening News Award-winner, plays Martha, daughter of the head of the American college where her husband George is a professor. She is the main protagonist in the marital war zone, teasing and taunting her husband to the embarrassment of their guests. Phillip Bretherton, plays the long-suffering George, who is goaded into reluctant retaliation by his drunken wife. The uncomfortable guests, drawn into their emotionally tangled web, are a young married couple newly arrived on campus. Michael Begley plays handsome young Nicky, who takes Martha's eye, while Joanne Froggatt plays his clinging wie Honmey. Sarah Frankcom directs this great contemporary classic with skill.
Manchester Evening News
5 Stars
We're on a New England university campus in the early 1960s, and Martha, daughter of the principal, and her husband George, a history don, are welcoming a young couple recently arrived in the faculty. Instead of hosting a polite afernoon tea though, Martha has arranged for a long night of drinking, righting, seduction, destruction and dark revelations.
Named for america's first first-couple (Martha and George Washington naturally), Edward Albee's famous four-hander about the stilfling hot-house atmosphere of academic life and the madness of marriage stars Barbara Marten and Phillip Bretherton as an unusually distinguisehd-looking pair.
Barbara Marten's Martha is tall, slim and dressed to kill (first in a beautifully-cut skirt suit, then in a backless scarlet cocktail dress), towering a head above George. In some ways, with her sophisticated appearance and vicious wit, she seems like a provincial Dorothy Parker, with a bit of Bette Davies thrown in.
Philip Bretherton as George is handsome, well-groomed and besuited, instead of an emasculated house-husband slopping about in cardie and slippers, his innate failure is harder to detect at a glance, so the slow-burning revelation of his life-story is more intriguing.
We expect Martha and Geroge to fight, but here there's no question that they are also devoted to tone another - as played in this production, it's very difficult not to like them - individually if not as a couple.
These seasoned bare-knuckle boxers are matched against an apparently happily married young pair. Joanne Froggatt is charminghly giggly as Honey, a seeming innocent with a prodigious thirst for brandy who is actually hiding a dark secret from her husband. And Michael Begley as Nick is absolutely wonderful as the all-American guy, who initially respectful, senses the weakness in George and transforms into a bully and a lecher. His cartoonish persona - Tintin does Elvis - makes for delightful comic relief.
Sarah Frankcom confidently directs aother high-class Exchange production, and Hannah Clark's design, all period 60s, wisely keeps the stage as bare as possible.
uk theatre network
* * * * Kathleen Turner recently garnered some very fine reviews playing Edward Albee's celebrated alcoholic, Martha, in the West End. But here in Manchester, it is Philip Bretherton's manipulative player, George, who steals the show.
Surviving by playing hurtful games, this cruel couple's unhappy 23 year marriage needs some spice, something to snap it into shape. Enter young, naive newlyweds, Honey and Nick. As the long evening progresses, secrets are spilled, tears are shed and Martha lures young Nick into a web of desire. Honey sits helplessly on the sidelines - turning to alcohol to numb her own pain.
With acidic lines like: ' If you existed, I'd divorce you' - Albee's wonderful play still makes you laugh out loud one minute and crawl into a ball, cringin the next. Being a three hour verbal marathon, each member of the cast has to taise their game constantly. Barbara Marten's Martha has the fire, self loathing and the seductress elements down to a tee...
Michael Begley's Nick is excellent as the rabbit-like guest; caught in the headlights waiting to be skinnes. Joanne Froggatt brings comedy, pthos and wide eyed innocnece to her Honey. Transforming herself from pawn in the struggle to giggling spectator, she is quite marvellous. Bretherton makes this play all about George. Strutting roud the living room like a peacock, pulling innocents in like worms; you are reminded how nightmarish this play can be, if performed this darkly. He is wickedly brilliant. Albee's dissection of the marriage is exhausting. But Sarah Frankcom is the ideal director because she will always unearth the beauty. She did the same with KES and SEPARATE TABLES. Here, she beautifully contrasts the gladiatorial elements of the crumbling marriage with the quieter, softer moments which highlight the love that still exists in this house.
Hannah Clark's plush set is an ideal backdrop for the blood, sweat and tears battles. Richard G Jones' unforgiving lighting brings tension to the already high drama.
This black comedy stands up as a timely look at a 'vile sewer of a marriage' which even though overlong, still manages to be frank, funny, yet gut wrenchingly sad.
whatsonstage.com
If the thought's of WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF conjures up a grainy black and white image of a screeching fest between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, then you will understand the trepidation I felt as I weaved, Cristian Ronaldo-like throughout the throngs of football fans heading towards Manchester's other Theatre of Dreams at Old Trafford.
But, whereas the unfortunate fans of United and Middlesbrough were underwhelmed by their millionaire idols, the Royal Exchange staged a classic.
Albee's play caused a sensation when it opened in Broadway in 1962. His writing is full of raw energy and visceral humour and seems as fresh today as it did back in the hazy days of the 1960s.
Albee picks at the love hate relationship between academic failure George and his vampish, ambitious wife Martha, daughter of the president of the university that employs him.
They have been married for 25 years, yet the only glue that binds them together is the pointless arguments and petty hatreds fought out in an alcohol-fuelled existence.
When new kids on the block arrive for a late night drinking session, the vitriol flows and the secrets leak from the sewer that has become their life.
This is a hugely complex play showing how disappointment and revenge can eat away at the heart of what is supposed to be a loving relationship.
Despite the intensity of Albee's plays the writing is exquisite and very funny. There are just four members of the cast and success or failure depends on how they deliver Albee's message.
In this production the audience at the Royal Exchange are treated to a master class in acting.
Philip Bretherton (left) is stunning as George. The anger and frustration pent up in a life of failure is palpable. Barbara Marten is a wonderful foil as the disenchanted Martha.
Forget Taylor and Burton, Bretherton and Marten have now set the benchmark by which all future productions should be measured.
The support from Michael Begley as Nick, and Joanne Froggatt as his mousy wife Honey is excellent.
The four wonderful performances are held together by some deft direction which makes this a truly fascinating evening. And so, after 90 minutes and a small fortune, the fans drifted into the Manchester darkness with only a dubious penalty to remember. A mile down the road, the audience, paying a fraction of the price, enjoyed nearly three hours of engrossing thought-provoking and extremely enjoytable theatre. No contest.
Morning Star