The Duchess of Malfi Reviews
(2.0 Stars)
James from London, England
STAY HOME AND WATCH HEAT.
Awful. Weird comedy bits. Dreary set. Forced diversity. No emotion. No charm. Every character came across as basically a wanker. This was utterly awful. The single most boring thing I have ever seen. After 7 minutes I wanted the theatre to catch fire. Unless you simply love watching something you like being strangled to death, do not pay to see this production.
Rowena Daw from London, England
UNEVEN TEENAGE ROMP
How disappointing this production is . A few good performances ( for instance Ferdinand ) good use of sound effects annd music , and a competent staging could not rescue it from being a production without central direction. Cheap laughs ,especially from the Duchess’s comic moments set a jarring tone at odds with the soaring poetry of Webster’s verse. The Duchess needs to have a commanding aristocratic presence , both a stateliness and a sensuality which were lacking here with this girlish , frenetic interpretation. While she enunciated the lines well enough she lacked the emotional sensitivity to their meaning and for all her histrionic yelling or weeping it rang hollow. Some supporting roles , particularly Bosola , gave workmanlike performances and the textual cuts were well selected . Overall though this was a shallow silly production which failed to convey the Emotionally tragic power of the text , nor do justice to the grandeur of the poetry .
What you thought
Seen The Duchess of Malfi? Loved it? Hated it?
Help your fellow London Theatreland visitors by leaving the first review. Everyone will love you for it, we promise!
Write a review nowNearby
Venue home
Location
DiningRestaurants
Hotels
Additional Information
Spread the word
Sound good to you? Share this page on social media and let your friends know about The Duchess of Malfi at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.
Keep up to date
I want email news and updates for events in my area! Read how we protect your data.
Please note: The term Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and/or The Duchess of Malfi as well as all associated graphics, logos, and/or other trademarks, tradenames or copyrights are the property of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and/or The Duchess of Malfi and are used herein for factual descriptive purposes only. We are in no way associated with or authorized by the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and/or The Duchess of Malfi and neither that entity nor any of its affiliates have licensed or endorsed us to sell tickets, goods and or services in conjunction with their events.