Mrs Warren’s Profession
March 30, 2010 –
I went to the theatre the other day to see Mrs Warren’s Profession, a racy (at the time, but oh so tame now) play by Bernard Shaw about prostitution in the Victorian era. Felicity Kendall played Mrs Warren, a high class madam and was excellent. The play was actually banned for thirty years, so of course I had to go and see it :)
Shaw’s production was very clever in its portrayal of Victorian hypocrisy, no wonder it caused such an outcry and to some extent you may say that not much has changed. There is a very sad ending which I wont spoil for you. I thoroughly recommend it, it’s at The Comedy Theatre in Piccadilly.
PS Do you like the picture?, it is called The Courtesan and is by Jan van Beers (1852-1927). I would love the original but I think I may have to buy a print :)



