Miss Julie, Park Theatre Review
Photo by Mark SeniorWritten by Emmie for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Lidless Theatre returns to Park Theatre, having previously enjoyed a successful run of Leaves of Glass earlier this year. Where Leaves of Glass is set in 2023, Miss Julie transports us back to 1888. Set during a midsummer’s evening and into the next morning, the play centres around a Countess, Miss Julie, and her father’s valet, Jean. The two begin an affair on the night of a staff party, which turns into an intense power struggle where gender roles, desires and class divides are examined.
Park90 is used well and the intimate space adds to the intensity of key moments in the play. However, at times, the actors had their backs on certain sides of the audience, leading to lost dialogue. Plays set in the round will always have this to contend with, but in this production, it was frustrating to miss out on seeing the actors’ faces and the emotion they were portraying in some segments.
The minimal set design complements this naturalistic play where the focus should be on the character portrayal. Katie Eldred’s Miss Julie is provocative, flirtatious, but troubled, and Eldred delivers a standout performance. Freddie Wise, as Jean, is degrading and callous towards Miss Julie, but also shows a well-executed level of vulnerability. Adeline Waby completes the cast as Christine, Jean’s fiancée, and the Count’s cook. Waby is on stage alone for a few minutes near the beginning of the play, whilst Jean and Miss Julie go off to dance together. During this time, Waby clearly portrays Christine’s judgement and disgust at the situation and holds the attention of the audience throughout.
The sound design includes muffled folk music, suggesting this is being played elsewhere on the estate, as well as muffled shouting a loud conversation from the staff. Both elements effectively highlight that a party is taking place.
Directed by Max Harrison, this revival of Miss Julie is generally gripping and well-acted, bringing enduring themes into focus for a modern-day audience.
At Park Theatre until 6 July.
☆ ☆ ☆
