Written in 1893 and first performed in London in 1902, George Bernard Shaw's Mrs Warren's Profession is a quintessential examination of social conditions, poverty and economics. Fast-forward to 2018 (after many iterations around the globe) and Auckland Theatre Company presents a fascinating adaptation of the classic.
Under the helm of Eleanor Bishop, the play is set on the glistening beaches of the Coromandel where we find ourselves caught up in the family drama of a young professional woman who must come to terms with the "questionable" source of her family's wealth. Loosely following the original plot, this version is laced with colloquial flavour and focuses the drama on the very real and important issues of stigma associated with sex and sex work.
Jennifer Ward-Lealand is excellent in the titular role; her performance shows both the determination and strength of a successful CEO, as well as the vulnerability of a spurned mother. Karin McCraken, as her daughter Vivie, is a strong supporting lead as the naïve, self-righteous and occasionally angst-driven law graduate. However, like many of the other characters in this version, she seems poorly equipped to understand the relationship between the politics of prostitution and capitalism.
Stephen Lovatt, Cameron Rhodes, Jack Buchanan and Tawanda Manyimo all add depth and dimension to the play in their various roles but the stand out is Hadassah Grace, a writer and former sex worker. Portraying Mrs Warren's sister Liz, Grace's own spoken word poetry cuts through the fat of the text to offer a searing and powerful commentary.
The irony is that a middle-class play performed on a middle-class stage to a largely middle-class audience is given its moment of truth and authenticity by including a voice that is strikingly "real"— and this choice alone provides both a compelling insight into how the work wants to address the questions it raises.
