To mark their first production at the Greenwich Playhouse, Perfect Mayhem is going to present Sir John Vanbrugh's wicked Restoration romp: The Provoked Wife.
Sir John Vanbrugh (1664 - 1726) a one-time local resident of Maze Hill and Commissioner and architect of Greenwich Hospital, had a colourful career. His employ spanned the army, navy, political activism, theatre management, playwrighting, architecture, and the College of Arms. Sir John was also a committed Whig (and member of the radical Kit Cat Club), and imprisoned in France (ostensibly for espionage). The one important constant in his life was that he was a radical. As a playwright he offended many sections of Restoration society with the sexual explicitness of his plays and their then-outrageous notions of the advancement of women's rights.
An argumentative and outspoken comedy, The Provoked Wife (1697) provocatively suggests that the unhappily married Lady Brute, trapped in an abusive marriage with the brutish Sir John Brute, could consider leaving it or taking a lover. Joining this tragicomic rollercoaster of a Restoration play are Lady Brute's niece Belinda and the young love-interests Heartfree and Constant, firing off witty ripostes between the intimate florid conversational dialogue. Serving-up an extra slice of chaos, the cast of characters is topped off by the deluded Lady Fancyfull (a prototype Mrs Malaprop) and her pert French maid Mademoiselle.
Perfect Mayhem intends to do justice to such a local hero by bringing immorality and profaneness to the Greenwich stage in a trademark bold and daring production - tailored to the modern attention span. The company would like to warn people and apologise (not very sincerely) in advance about the explicit sexual content of the play and for jarring any conservative sensibilities.
11th October - 6th November 2011
Greenwich Playhouse
Tuesday - Saturday 7:30pm, Sunday at 4:00pm
Press Night: Thursday 13 October 2011 at 7:30pm
Tickets: £13, £10 (concessions)
Box Office: 020 8858-9256 / boxoffice@galleontheatre.co.uk
Venue: Greenwich Playhouse, Greenwich station forecourt,
189 greenwich high road, london, SE10 8JA
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