Movie Number 42 of 2025
The Movie: Mrs Warren’s Profession
The Cinema: Kino Cinema Collins Street
Runtime: Two hours
Limited release in most arthouse cinemas.
Stars: 4
One of the best things to come out of British theatre is the fact that they record some of the performances which are then played in cinemas around the world. The National Theatres production of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession was performed in London earlier this year starring Imelda Staunton and Bessie Smith, her daughter.
It’s theatre like this that makes me miss London all the more.
The story hasn’t changed in 130 years. Vivienne Warren (Bessie Smith), an educated and enlightened woman, raised by boarding schools and nannies, sent off to university for an education, a thoroughly modern woman is re-introduced to her very absent mother. Her mother (Imelda Staunton) has some preconceived ideas about her daughter, just as Vivienne discovers she has her own thoughts on her mother.
It’s through the course of the play that Vivian finds out that her mother runs a number of brothels in Europe.
What stunned me was that for a play written in 1893, so many of the themes of the play was still so relevant.
The play brings up the themes of pride, prejudice, society, class, and everything else in between. As with Shaw’s other works, the language is vibrant and full of humour, A bit satire on the upper classes, with a view that money corrupts.
The supporting cast included Kevin Doyle, known best as Mr Molesley in Downton Abbey, plays the vicar. The rest are very good too.
The production values are excellent as well. The round stage, rickety lawn furniture and simple staging suit the production, allowing for the stagecraft to shine. The group of women, dressed as turn of the century prostitutes, who haunted the stage at crucial times in the play were also effective.
As this is a well-known play, there's no reason to go into its plot, themes and the staging of this. What stood out for me is how captivating this play was when transferred to the big screen.
I loved every minute of it. Theatre lovers should search this one out.
NaNoWriMo update.
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