Mistress Julie, Barons Court Theatre

Miss Julie is a play about power. When nobleman's daughter, Julie, joins a staff party and sleeps with a clever and conniving member of the understairs crew, the scales start to tip. What follows is a battle of wit, of emotion, and status as the young girl becomes steadily more confused. Far from being grateful or in love with her - or, indeed, grateful that she has risked all to sleep with him - her lover swings between defensive and deferential, his interest in her money in inverse proportion to his interest in her. Tragedy for one of them is on the cards...

Star spangled manners

Urgent Breath's production of the Strindberg classic is relocated to a plantation in the deep south of the US and renamed Mistress Julie. It's 1928 and while her daddy's away, southern belle Julie pursues John, the black driver she's known since childhood. Brazenly bursting into the kitchen, Julie finds John dancing with his kitchen sweetheart, Cassie. Oblivious to Cassie's pain, Julie - an early, but emotionally naive feminist - abuses her power to demand his attention.

The Baron's Court Theatre has the tiniest stage and charges just £10 a ticket: there isn't room or money for grand sets and costumes. Nonetheless, the single table and three chairs that constitute the staff quarters feel authentic and the ticket booth doubles as a bedroom. Director Zoe Thomas-Webb recreates the party outside by playing back to back songs from the period. This constantly distracts from the dialogue. It should either be used intermittently, or the cast given lessons in projection. It is only in the second act when the tension is ratcheted upwards and the true colours of the characters are revealed, that we can hear clearly.

In conclusion: Claudius Peters as John, develops elegantly from poetic lackey to menacing chancer.  Grace Carmen-Davis is a gentle Cassie. Gina Abolins' Julie has an accent straddling three continents, and terrible costumes, but settles into the role. The theatre is below a very nice and well supported pub where you can chill after seventy five minutes of high drama.

References
Baron's Court Theatre, Tickets

Barons Court Theatre, Curtain's Up Pub, 28a Comeragh Road, London W14 9HP   Production ends 7 July 2013