The Last Stand of Mrs Mary Whitehouse at Nottingham Playhouse Review
Written by Emmie for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Nottingham Playhouse are on a roll with bold and innovative productions, with Girls and Boys and Punch winning huge acclaim (Punch opens in the West End this month). This autumn, the creative team tackles one of the most divisive cultural figures of the 20th century, Mary Whitehouse.
A woman who put herself at the heart of debates about censorship, morality, and the power of media, Mary Whitehouse was a fascinating and controversial figure to explore in a theatrical capacity. In a world that still today wrestles with social media spats, fake news, and an emboldened right wing, Caroline Bird’s play arrives on the stage at exactly the right time.
Directed by Sarah Frankcom, The Last Stand of Mary Whitehouse is presented as a biography, but its primary focus is the blasphemy trial against Gay News. Through this lens, the play examines not only Whitehouse’s personal crusade but also the cultural landscape of the 1970s. Interwoven with the flow of this play are brilliantly interjections of flashbacks, giving audiences glimpses into Whitehouse’s earlier life, her motivations, and the influences that shaped her uncompromising stance. These moments provide nuance and humanity, allowing us to see beyond the headlines to the complexities of a woman who wanted to pursue her service to her faith.
There is a lot of material crammed into these 2 hours 40 minutes of theatrical brilliance! We witness so many different complexities to Whitehouse’s character whilst also trying to obtain some significance to help us with the duration of time that this story tries to capture.
Four-time BAFTA nominee Maxine Peake gives a groundbreaking portrayal of Mary Whitehouse. Having caught a glimpse of the interview with Jill Tweedie and a video from the BBC Archive after watching this performance, you can see how well Peake embodies this woman. Peake captures so many layers in her powerful portrayal of Mary. However, it’s the exposure to the more light-hearted and vulnerable side of her that makes this performance as brilliant as it was.
Versatility comes courtesy of Samuel Barnett. As the other half of this two-hander, Barnett plays a whole plethora of different characters in this fast-paced production. Each of them is incredibly distinct and full of life, especially when they shift between their emotions and attitudes towards Mary Whitehouse. Barnett seamlessly moves from one to the next. His most memorable of the night was his hilarious portrayal of Margaret Thatcher, which definitely provides one of the show’s standout moments.
Even if you come to see this production knowing very little about Whitehouse, the pace and amount of material in it will give you some fantastic knowledge. The Last Stand of Mary Whitehouse offers a striking glimpse and an education into a significant figure that deserves a West End transfer.
The Last Stand of Mary Whitehouse plays at Nottingham Playhouse until 27 September
★★★★★
