Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? In conversation with Director Sophie Earle-Thorpe
Edward Albee’s modern classic, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is coming to Wokingham Theatre for the first time this Spring.
Set in one night, in one living room, in the 1960s, the play tells the story of a college professor George, and his wife, Martha, who have just returned home drunk from a party. They are joined for a nightcap by newlyweds Nick and Honey; he, the opportunistic new college professor and she, his seemingly naive new bride.
Drinks flow. Inhibitions melt. And secrets are revealed.
We’ve sat down with director Sophie Earle-Thorpe to hear what audiences have in store from this play that is heralded as one of the most important and influential pieces of American literature of the 20th century.
Without giving too much away, tell us about Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
Everything takes place in one evening, which is the beauty of this play. It starts at 2am and ends at 6am, all on one night, with the action playing out more or less in real time, as we watch these characters undergo transformations of one kind or another.
It is an iconic play, which was made even more famous in the 1960s by the film starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, whose relationship is very similar to that of the characters they play, George and Martha, as they were married and divorced three times in real life.
The play is about two married couples and it’s about the reality of marriage, how much you challenge each other, what buttons you press, the truths and illusions within a marriage. It’s beautifully heartbreaking and very funny at the same time, watching the contrast between these two marriages on stage.
George and Martha’s marriage is the most loud and extravagant; they are living in this fantasy world and seem at times quite toxic. But their love is the most pure and indestructible. There’s nothing they wouldn’t do for each other.
Whereas Honey and Nick’s relationship seems healthier from the surface and maybe more traditional, but actually we learn it’s the most fake, that they don’t really support each other and their love is not as sincere, and that their marriage was based on a lie from the get go.
So it’s the juxtaposition constantly between the two that makes you look more closely at relationships around you and maybe your own ideal of marriage. It asks the question, is it ever unhealthy to love someone too much?
Tell us about the way the context of the story influences and affects the characters?
Martha is the daughter of the Head Professor at a college, and it’s clear she wanted to marry someone smart, ambitious and charismatic. While George is smart, he’s neither ambitious nor charismatic, which she resents, and is why she likes it when she sees those qualities in Nick.
Martha is very much a product of her context; if this were the present day, she could be the ambitious, career-driven woman, but as a woman of the 60s, she can’t do that. It was her duty to marry and her duty to become a mother, so the play is about how she juggles those pressures.
By contrast, Honey is this young, beautiful woman, who doesn’t want children and rejects the idea that she should have some. While she may look like this naive young thing who gets drunk, she’s more switched on than she (or we) first realises. The big secret of the play is revealed by Honey, and we’ve talked a lot in rehearsals about whether or not she does it intentionally, or was it her naivety getting the better of her. We agreed on what we think is going on, but I’d love to hear what the audience thinks: is she the classic 1960s housewife that revels in the gossip of other people? Or is something else going on.
What did you think of the play when you first read the script?
I first read it when I was 19 and studied it at uni, and I’ve seen three productions of it, and directed it elsewhere as well. It’s just my favourite play. I think Edward Albee’s writing is just beautiful. There’s a beautiful scene between Martha and George where they’re screaming at each other:
Martha: You can stand it!
George: I cannot stand it!
Martha: You can stand it, you married me for it!
I think it just sums up how beautiful love is and how beautiful a marriage can be, but also how toxic two people can be for each other.
We only see this one snippet of their marriage in one evening, but Albee’s writing captures such authentic characters who make you laugh out loud and cry at the same time.
It’s widely heralded as one of most important American plays ever written, how does it feel to be bringing it to Wokingham Theatre?
I feel a lot of pressure! I’ve wanted to put it on at Wokingham Theatre for years, so I also feel very very honoured that I’m the one who gets to bring it to WT for the first time.
I think one of the reasons that it is considered such an important piece of American literature is that Albee’s writing makes the play timeless. Even though I’ve kept it set in the 60s, it could easily be set nowadays, as the writing is all about his characters and relationships, not about the where or when. That’s the beauty for an audience to experience, it could be anyone’s living room. The themes are universal and timeless.
Tell us about rehearsals, what have they been like?
I love a small cast show, and they’ve been great. We were lucky to have blocked the whole show by the end of February so we were then able to use March to really get into characters’ intentions and had some time to play.
I’ve tried to really encourage the actors to make their own decisions on what feels comfortable in terms of movement, because it’s such a wordy play, it’s really important not to just have four people sat on a sofa for two hours! We wanted it to have moments of physical theatre, to find humour in our music choices, and explore how the set can add to the power dynamics being played out.
What is your favourite moment in the creative process as the Director?
It’s always the final night, I love watching theatre on the final night. Theatre should all be about stakes, why are we watching this moment of a character’s life? A bad play will be one where there was no tension, no stakes, no drama. So naturally on the final night of any production, the stakes are high because they will never perform it again. So it just always has a great buzz and energy on stage; they’re leaving their lines on the stage for the last time. And I love that.
Finally, we heard a rumour there is a very special reason you’re not running your tech rehearsal on the Sunday, as is tradition at WT. Tell us more!
Well there’s two reasons for that! Firstly, Mitch, who is playing Nick, will be running the London Marathon on that Sunday, for Parkinson’s UK, which is a cause very close to his heart. But secondly, because I would be a very bad wife if I didn’t go and watch him!
So we are doing the Tech and first Dress Rehearsal on the Saturday, then Mitch will run 26.2 miles on the Sunday, before embarking on a ten night run! What could possibly go wrong?!
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opens at Wokingham Theatre with a charity preview on Wednesday 29 April, before opening to the general public the next day. The production will run until Saturday 9 May, and tickets are still available but selling fast.
And if you want to support Mitch’s fundraising for Parkinson’s UK, you can do so here