Mrs Warren's Profession
Victorian moral values fall under the scrutiny of George Bernard Shaw in his 1894 play “Mrs Warren’s Profession”, which appears at the Comedy Theatre in 2010 under the direction of Michael Rudman.
The production first appeared at the Theatre Royal Bath, where Felicity Kendal took on the role as the mother with a questionable profession and lead a show that proved to be a great success. Its popularity was certain to secure a West End transfer and this year it joins many shows that have made the transition from the Bath venue to the London stage.
The creative team all make their way to the Comedy Theatre, including Kendal, to present a story that looks at 19th century moral values and criticises them for their hypocrisies. It highlights this be presenting a story that looks at the relationship between mother and daughter – Mrs Warren and her daughter Vivie.
Vivie has led a comfortable life; her mother sends her a weekly income and has paid for a good education from Cambridge University. It has been her mother’s help that has meant she can look forward to a high flying job in the legal sector. But Vivie does not know much about her parent and is horrified when she learns the source of this income and realises that her whole life has been supported by such questionable acts.
Kendal portrays Mrs Warren in the production and appears having made a name for herself over a long career. It was her role in the popular sitcom “The Good Life” that really made her famous and won her fans across the country, whilst a long career on the stage has maintained her longevity. Her early theatrical roles took the form of various production from Tom Stoppard, with starring roles in “The Real Thing” in 1982, “Arcadia” in 1993 and “Indian Ink in 1995, whilst her stage debut was in 1967’s “Minor Murder”. More recently she has been seen in the likes of “The Humble Boy” in 2002, “Amy’s View” in 2006, “The Vortex” in 2008 and “The Last Cigarette” in 2009.
When the show was first penned it was banned from being performed under Lord Chamberlain’s strict laws, meaning it did not premiere officially until the 1920s. Today, no such obstacles stand in its way and it appears at the Comedy Theatre from Thursday 25th March 2010 (previews from Tuesday 16th March 2010) to Saturday 19th June 2010.
