Faustus: That Damned Woman (NHB Modern Plays) (Nick Hern)

£5.495
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Faustus: That Damned Woman (NHB Modern Plays) (Nick Hern)

Faustus: That Damned Woman (NHB Modern Plays) (Nick Hern)

RRP: £10.99
Price: £5.495
£5.495 FREE Shipping

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Description

The concept is compelling. The ideas are fiendish. But, like Faustus herself, the play doesn’t really fulfil its vaulting ambition.

As she re-writes her own personal history and that of women generally, it's like a combination of Dr. Who's ability to travel across time and Christopher Marlowe's (whose 1592 version of the story is still one of its most famous). When researching the look and feel Francesca wants to bring to a production, she says she works with visual imagery more than words, and for Faustus she has explored ideas of physical theatre and contemporary dance, along with body art. Supported by a strong ensemble, they use movement and dance, developed with Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, to portray brutal killings and iconic moments in history which was essential for moving the story forward. The character of Mephistopheles, who is bound to Faustus, is played by a different member of the cast throughout the play as they are able to change their form and appearance due to being a fallen angel of Lucifer. This gives each of the ensemble cast the opportunity to portray the character in their unique way, whilst also having coherent characteristics. Dzey Z Smith is a particular stand out for their portrayal of Mephistopheles in the way they expressed their sinister misogynistic treatment of woman in their attempts to summon the devil. The cast are an undoubted highlight of the performance with Olivia Sweeney a strong and constant presence as Johanna Faustus, the pivotal character in this interpretation which sees a reversal in the motives of the Faustus character. Traditionally, Marlowe’s troubled Doctor had sought power and pleasure from his pact with Lucifer, however, Johanna seeks the power to do only good.

Cast

Olivia Sweeney takes on the part of Johanna Faustus, and whereas in previous interpretations of the tale, the story itself judges the morality of Faustus’s actions, in this production it is the audience who are challenged to take on the role of jury. Do we believe that Sweeney’s Faustus is morally good? Overreaching her power? She is a complicated figure driven by grief, need, and, as the play moves on, almost drunk on opportunity and possibilities. Sweeny’s indefatigable take on the role gives all the more weight and urgency to the characters seemingly impossible aspirations.

Inspired by a human connection with the four elements, Good Teeth design team have created a timeless setting. With tree roots bursting from the ceiling, as if under the earth, this could be hell. As Mephistopheles states in Marlowe’s interpretation ‘all places shall be hell, that are not heaven’. Dripping water, flaming walls, at any time we could be by a river, in a mansion, on the heath, but never far away from the eternal presence of hell and Mephistopheles. Faustus: That Damned Woman was co-produced by Headlong and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, in association with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and first performed at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in January 2020 before touring the UK. At this point it is essential to mention the exceptional talent that is Olivia Sweeney who commands the stage from start to finish as Johanna with a dominance that is positively awe-inspiring. The play follows the title character as she travels through history, however many elements of misogyny and inequality remain. Jodie McNee is magnificent as Johanna, determined that “no man shall stand dominion over me” – not even the devil. She reduces Satan’s right-hand man, Mephistopheles, to little more than her assistant as she goes on her physical and personal journey to understand women’s potential. Danny Lee Wynter is amusingly foppish as her diabolical companion, part of a strong ensemble cast playing multiple parts.Chris Bush’s contemporary take on the myth, ‘Faustus: That Damned Woman’, asks (kind of)what a woman might have done with the power.And the answer – in this co-productionbetweenHeadlong and the Lyric – is that heroine Johanna Faustus does a lot more. Like, a lot more. Chris Bush's devilishly provocative play Faustus: That Damned Woman is inspired by the works of Marlowe, Goethe and other versions of the Faust myth – and explores what women must sacrifice to achieve greatness, and the legacies that are left behind.

In my new play, my Faustus is a young woman in 17th-century London, the daughter of a plague doctor father and a herbalist mother who was tried and killed as a witch when Faustus was a girl. She’s grown up with a mistrust of organised religion and a fascination with the occult, and exists on the fringes of society. She has no wealth and little agency. By the time she meets Lucifer she knows the risks but sees his offer as the least bad option available to her. As she tells him: It’s certainly a compelling idea – albeit one already explored in previous productions like Pauline Randall’s 2018 gender-swapped Faustus at the Globe – but the resulting piece, though impassioned, is unfortunately rather a muddle. Visually dynamic, well produced and thoroughly engaging, Storyhouse has produced a very memorable and striking production. You won’t be disappointed! The set design combined natural elements of water and fire effectively centred around an impressive working well which took centre stage. However, I felt this was a successful decision by director Francesca, as it added an ethereal, otherworldly appearance to the character leaving me wonder - is there a devil in everyone?Having lost her mother to the witch trials of the 1600s, Johanna seeks to sell her soul to uncover her mothers fate and discover if, as claimed, her mothers name is written in Lucifer’s book. But in considering her trade; her soul for 144 years of unlimited power, the ability to move time forward and to never age; Johanna seeks to use intellect, technology and a fiery grudge to do for others what she could not do for her mother.



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