"We are fortunate that such excellent companies as London Classic Theatre still visit Hexham. They very much enrich our cultural life, especially in these days of governmental Philistinism. Over an hour and a half of this one-act tragedy, I and an attentive audience were transfixed by this tale of psychological class and sex games with overtones of violence. The play is an elegant three-hander. As Christine, Helen Barford gave an outstanding performance...as John the chauffeur, Andrew Dowbiggin maintained a beautiful balance between the deferential and the lecherous...as Miss Julie, Kathryn Ritchie was superb, making real the dilemma of a girl caught between sexual hunger and emotional frigidity. That this production was of such a high level was greatly due to the excellent direction by Michael Cabot, who was never afraid to slow the action down or speed it into frenzy. He has a very sure touch and created what is the best production to have visited Hexham for some years.
Helen Compson - Hexham Courant
"Miss Julie (Kathryn Ritchie) is the sumptuous, modern, man manipulator who keeps up the pace of the plot through its deeply embedded emotions. Her methods of manipulating John (Andy Dowbiggin) are ludicrous yet admirable, as post war life filled some women with desire and lust. The time span of the plot is over 12 hours, in which a full spectrum of emotions was thrown at the audience, leaving you both exhilarated and drained."
Samantha Booth - Stoke Sentinel
London Classic Theatre director Michael Cabot deftly draws out the disturbing layers of nuances in this fine production. Kathryn Ritchie, in the title role, is movingly credible as a driven, vulnerable and eccentric 1940s aristocrat."
Derek Briggs - Gloucestershire Echo
CREATIVE TEAM:
Writer: Patrick Marber
Directed by Michael Cabot
Designed by Kerry Bradley
Lighting by Peter Foster
Costumes by Katja Krzesinska
Photography: Sheila Burnett
CAST:
Helen Barford, Andy Dowbiggin, Kathryn Ritchie.
SELECTED VENUES:
Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield, Buxton Opera House, Central Theatre Chatham, Pavilion Theatre Dun Laoghaire, Everyman Palace Cork and New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme.
THE SHOW:
July 1945. A country house near London.
Celebrations for the Labour Party’s landslide election victory are in full swing. The lady of the house, Miss Julie, descends into the servants’ kitchen to seek out John, her father’s chauffeur. As the night draws in and flirtation turns to passion, the two lovers embark on a consuming and deadly dance of desire.
Sex, class and ambition battle for centre stage as Patrick Marber relocates Strindberg’s brutal, sensual love story to post-war England.
Patrick Marber’s first play, Dealer’s Choice, opened at the National Theatre in February 1995, and won the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy. His other plays include Howard Katz, Don Juan in Soho and Closer, which also won the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy, as well as the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award and Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play.
August Strindberg (1849-1912) was a pivotal figure in the development of modern drama and a passionate early advocate of both Naturalism and Expressionism. His works include The Dance of Death, A Dream Play and The Ghost Sonata. As one of the pioneers of the Modern European stage, he gained notoriety both as an astute portrayer of character and an unrelenting critic of the social and sexual mores of his time.
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