Elizabeth Dulau soars as young George Eliot

Hampstead Theatre

Before she was George Eliot, Mary Ann Evan’s was a rebellious young woman. Alexi Kaye Campbell’s new play explores the period when she lived at home in conflict with her father and society in general. The critics were unanimous in their praise for the ‘lovely, strong, central performance’ (Guardian) from Elizabeth Dulau (from TV’s Andor) and ‘Wryly funny’(Stage) Owen Teale. They had mixed feelings about the play which was ‘entirely modern’ (LondonTheatre) with a ‘delicate emotional power’ (Guardian) or ‘slightly overlong’ (Arts Desk) and ‘ponderous’ (Standard). Anna Ledwich is the director.

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4 stars ★★★★

Matt Wolf at LondonTheatre informed us: ‘The narrative ceases before Evans has actually adopted her legendary nom de plume. But playgoers by that point will surely be in thrall to the psychic journey that has led her to this decision’. He claimed: ‘the play feels entirely modern in its insistence on the kind of self-reckoning that people talk about these days when they reference “being seen”. The material wouldn’t land as well as it does, however, without the energy and drive of Dulau’.

3 stars ★★★

The Stage’s Sam Marlowe liked it: ‘Ledwich’s production is lively and vibrantly performed, on a turquoise set by Sarah Beaton that gracefully suggests airy rooms and high ceilings, and makes discreet use of a revolve. Dulau is a forthright, confident, zingily intelligent Mary Ann, and the tenderness between her and Teale’s wryly funny, pragmatic, self-made man Robert feels touchingly authentic.’

The Financial Times’ Sarah Hemming praised the two stars : ‘Elizabeth Dulau handles the central role terrifically. It’s hard to play intelligence, but Dulau achieves it, quietly suggesting a brilliant mind buzzing beneath her mild expression. She’s drily funny, too, as she endures the bombastic overtures of a would-be suitor too stupid to notice his own limitations (enjoyably played by Jonnie Broadbent). In reply, Owen Teale, as Robert, conveys a well of feeling behind a facade of gruff reserve.’

The Guardian’s Arifa Akbar pointed out: ‘The production is a kind of half-way house between a play of ideas and a father-daughter drama.’ She said: ‘the play has a delicate emotional power that takes hold slowly and has a lovely, strong, central performance from Dulau.’

Time Out’s Andrzej Lukowski concluded: ‘It’s not a radical or earthshaking show, but fans of stately period dramas with a feminist twinkle won’t go away disappointed. Teale is great and Dulau shows she can hold a stage as well as a screen. Its real strength, though, is its sweet and rare depiction of the beauty of a loving bond between a father and a daughter.’

Alexi Kaye on The Arts Desk concluded: ‘This is a rather serious, heartfelt and thoughtful, if slightly overlong, account of family tensions and a young Victorian woman’s coming of age.’

Clementine Scott at BroadwayWorld liked the two leads but didn’t mince her words about the play: ‘Too often, oafish suitors, awkward dinners and hackneyed cries of “I want to read!” overwhelm the tender portrait of a complex domestic life that we see glimpses of throughout. Most depressingly of all, we have to be told constantly of Mary Ann’s intellectual capacity, because the play she’s in is too overwritten to give her the chance to show some of that intellect herself.’

Miriam Sallon for WhatsOnStage couldn’t see the point: ‘If this is truly Eliot’s origin story, perhaps we’re best left without it. Let her literature speak for itself.’ She made a plea: ‘I would request a much tighter plot to distract from the lack of Eliot’s words, and perhaps a refocus on what really makes an interesting story, besides simply saying, that fairly ordinary girl is going to be extraordinary some time after this story ends.’

2 stars ★★

’Elizabeth Dulau is the saving grace in this ponderous play’ declared the Standard’s Nick Curtis. He expanded: ‘The play is all text and no subtext, the characters constantly explaining themselves through anecdotes or reference to the conventions of the era.’ Furthermore, Campbell ‘creates unconscionably bad parts for the supporting cast here.’

Critics’ Average Rating 3.0★

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