When Red Stitch Actors' Theatre put on Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in late 2023, the gripping play enjoyed a critically acclaimed run. Now, in a historic partnership between Red Stitch, GWB Entertainment and Andrew Henry Presents, the production is returning for a mainstage commercial season at the Comedy Theatre in June and July.
For the first time in Red Stitch's 23 year history, the Melbourne-born theatre company has secured a commercial partnership which will see the production transferred from its 80-seat converted church hall home, to a mainstage theatre. This landmark partnership is reminiscent of arrangements common in major theatre capitals like London and New York, where independent theatre productions often transfer to the mainstage.
Time Out reviewed Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? during its initial run last year. Read on for our 2023 review of the production.
The Red Stitch Actors' Theatre in St Kilda East – piled with books and boasting a fully stocked bar – sets the stage for a night of emotional warfare in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The space is cosy, which will later prove constricting for bottle throwing and violent throttling, but works to confine Martha (Kat Stewart) and George (David Whiteley) in their suburban marital hell.
Albee’s script endures for its unflinching dissection of a marriage marred by rage and
disillusionment, sharpened with barbed insults and clever repartee. Debuting in 1962, the
play echoes the era’s anxieties – unrest, success, failure and mid-life existentialism – yet
remains relevant today. Still, it’s Martha and George’s mutually destructive duel you stay seated for.
In award-winning director Sarah Goodes’ version, subtlety outweighs aggression. Stewart’s (The Little Dog Laughed, The Shape of Things and TV hits Offspring, Underbelly) Martha exudes a delicate cruelty; she’s compelling as she ridicules George with air smooches, a baby voice and wall thrusting. Opposite her, Whiteley as George is suave, consistently deadpan and less pummelling in his verbal salvoes – but the intimate theatre space may have demanded more tonal variation from Whiteley to effectively deliver the sharper, biting lines required of the dialogue.
Albee’s script thrives on the explosive chemistry of its central couple – a daunting shadow
cast by the infamous performances of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in the 1966 film
adaptation. This comparison is difficult to escape when examining Stewart and Whiteley; here the edges of their sparring take on a softer, less vicious quality – but amusing, nonetheless. The contrasting chemistry between George and Nick (Harvey Zielinski), and the unexpectedly tender camaraderie between Martha and Honey (Emily Goddard) is electric.
Zielinski plays Nick with priggishness and likability, warming into the character with each
sip of bourbon. Goddard is skilfully pitiful in her portrayal of Honey (at one point, she returns with vomit down her dress), with her comedic timing garnering energetic laughs from the audience.
The roaming moments are interrupted by well-known scenes: George’s surprise shotgun and
a fun choreographed dance number. In this version, a flower crown and a tambourine appear alongside a jaunty re-telling of George’s failed novel, adding sensuality and a nice nod to his earlier pagan reference to Martha. In the ensuing argument, Honey’s howl for
“more violence” is pertinent, still, it’s an affecting scene bolstered by Albee’s script: “There is no moment anymore when we could come together… snap!”
As the play winds down to its harrowing conclusion, the stage design, with its golden hues
and static blues, accentuates Harriet Oxley’s mid-century set. Reality and illusion – the play’s base – coalesce, aided by atmospheric sound design, Ivy League cardigans and swaying forest projections.
Stewart is a brilliant crier and lets her tears run liberally as the production meets its
bitter end. While the play simmers without exploding, its finale remains moving (there were tears from the audience on opening night), forewarning viewers of the future humiliations, inescapable comprises and a love that will rise with Sunday.
'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' is showing at Red Stitch Actors' Theatre until December 17. For more information, head to the website.