The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse at Nottingham Playhouse: “Witty, fascinating, and thought-provoking” — theatre review
This brand-new play by Caroline Bird is filled with themes that will resonate with all
Nottingham Playhouse always hosts interesting and thought-provoking shows — and The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse is a very impressive example of this.
Starring Maxine Peake as the titular role (Dinnerladies, Shameless, Black Mirror) and Samuel Barnett as everyone else, the show explores the enigma of the woman who was a prominent campaigner against obscenity and pornography. I visited during the press night.
If you’re looking for September events in Nottingham, I highly recommend watching The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse at the Nottingham Playhouse, which runs until September 27. To find out more things to do around Nottingham, subscribe to The Notts Edit to receive our articles in your inbox for free.
The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse — a masterclass in challenging and entertaining
★★★★★
By Eve Smallman
Photos by Helen Murray
In 1976, Mrs. Mary Whitehouse fought one of her most famous battles — her blasphemy trial against Gay News, for publishing a poem. That sentence doesn’t quite cover the amount of nuance within the case and within the woman herself — but this show certainly does.
Maxine Peake was a compelling force as Mary Whitehouse, moving smoothly through sly glances and eyebrow raises to shaky, spit-filled shouting fits. She could convey a whole range of emotions through her wry, plastered-on smirk.
The play jumps between times, with her playing Mary at different life stages. Yes, she put on a different wig and changed her outfits, but her whole demeanour changed too. The costume changes for both characters were very impressive, both on and off stage — having many of these on stage for Mary certainly added to her ‘humanity.’
Meanwhile, Samuel Barnett covered over 15 different roles, including a documentary filmmaker, Margaret Thatcher, and even Jesus himself. He brought just as much power as a sparring partner. This especially shone as Guardian columnist Jill Tweedie in the second half, moving through different thoughts and tones effortlessly. I also loved his soulful rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water — a song that plays as a motif throughout — which gave me goosebumps.
They both brought emotional levels of depth to their roles — Peake did this across one person, while Barnett did this in his role as ‘everyone else.’ The thought of everyone else versus Mary carries throughout the play. There was a poignant moment where Barnett, while playing a university student, snuck into the stalls, before going on stage to say his piece. Shortly after, Mary walked straight through the aisle — everyone’s heads spun to watch her leave.
The audience were spoken to right from the outset. Charmed by Mary, you could really see and feel how she became such a figurehead of her movement. She would share a joke with us and we’d laugh, sometimes with her and sometimes at her. I did think the humour might be a little much — especially considering the seriousness of the subject matter — but it did settle down in the second act. The ‘quiet time’, as Mary put it, with monologues and hard-hitting moments, was just as gripping.
None of the show’s impact would have been possible without the carefully crafted script by Caroline Bird, which captured Mary as a person — a person who could be liked, could be hated, could be full of vitriol. She painted the humanity of Mary without glossing over her failings. Bird’s remarkable research, including pouring over her diaries, very much showed. She also really highlighted and gave a voice to those who Mary had hurt, with the lasting consequences never being far away.
You don’t have to know a lot about Mary Whitehouse and her era of putting away ‘nasties’ in order to resonate with this show. The themes are just as relevant today as they were over 40 years ago, with the parallels being quite clear. Witty, fascinating, and thought-provoking, The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse challenges and entertains masterfully.
The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse plays at the Nottingham Playhouse until September 27. nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk
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