Review: Mrs Dalloway

18-04-26 Storyhouse, Chester by Jamie Griffiths

Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway has a reputation for being one of the great novels of the twentieth century. It also has a reputation for being rather intimidating. Built from streams of consciousness, memories and internal monologues, it is not an obvious choice for adaptation.

Yet Storyhouse’s remarkable new production somehow manages to capture the essence of Woolf’s masterpiece while creating something that feels entirely theatrical in its own right.

Co-created by director Jen Heyes and Olivier Award-winning performer Kit Green, this is no dusty period drama. Instead, it is a bold, immersive and often breathtakingly beautiful piece of theatre that feels startlingly relevant to modern audiences.

Green performs Clarissa Dalloway alongside a host of other characters, but it never truly feels like a one-person show. Her characterisation is so precise and fluid that transitions become almost seamless. At times, aided by projections and film, there appear to be multiple versions of Green sharing the stage at once, creating a dreamlike quality that mirrors Woolf’s writing remarkably well.

The production’s visual language is extraordinary. Dominating the stage is a triptych of giant screens, complemented by additional projections that ensure the imagery never becomes repetitive. One moment audiences are confronted with nightmarish sequences that veer almost into horror territory. The next, they are surrounded by images of lilacs and agapanthus, visual metaphors for the beauty and fragility that run throughout the story. The result is hypnotic.

Heyes’ fusion of theatre and film is among the most successful examples of multimedia storytelling I have seen for some time. Every visual choice feels purposeful, creating an atmosphere that is by turns unsettling, poignant and unexpectedly joyful.

Green is magnetic throughout. Fabulous costume choices ensure she never disappears amid the dazzling visuals, while her performance balances humour, vulnerability and emotional honesty.

The production also makes inspired use of music. Some songs are performed to track, others with Green accompanying herself on piano. The score draws on Woolf’s text while moving confidently between wistful ballads, cabaret influences and even a wonderfully unexpected high-energy disco sequence complete with dry ice and flashing lights.

One particular number, in which Green insists that “people need parties”, lands with surprising force. By that point, after spending time inside Woolf’s world of connection, isolation and memory, it becomes difficult to disagree.

The audience is drawn into the production from the moment they arrive. Green weaves among audience members before the show begins, welcoming guests to Clarissa’s party. Later, she moves through the auditorium collecting glasses as part of the action. The immersive elements never feel gimmicky. Instead, they deepen the sense that we are participants in Clarissa’s world rather than passive observers.

What impressed me most was the care with which the production approached its darker themes. Mental health, trauma and suicide sit at the heart of Mrs Dalloway, but Green handles these subjects with remarkable generosity. There are moments when she breaks character to check in with the audience, always with consent and purpose. It feels thoughtful rather than performative, allowing difficult material to resonate without becoming overwhelming.

The pacing remains deliberately dreamlike throughout. Only towards the conclusion, when the many strands of the story begin to converge and almost all of Green’s characters seem to occupy the stage simultaneously, do you fully appreciate the scale of the journey you have taken.

The audience at Storyhouse appeared utterly transfixed.

Perhaps most impressive of all is how contemporary the production feels. Woolf wrote Mrs Dalloway in the shadow of one world-altering crisis while grappling with questions of grief, uncertainty and social change. As Green herself observes during the performance, in a world of pandemics, economic instability, political upheaval and international conflict, there is absolutely nothing for modern audiences to relate to there. The irony lands beautifully.

Knowing the novel beforehand certainly enhances the experience, but newcomers need not worry. Green proves an assured guide through Woolf’s world, ensuring that even its most complex passages remain accessible. This is an ambitious, intelligent and deeply imaginative production that trusts its audience while rewarding that trust. It may not be the most straightforward evening in the theatre, but it is undoubtedly one of the most memorable.

People need parties. And this summer, audiences across the UK need Mrs Dalloway.

★★★★☆

Mrs Dalloway plays at Storyhouse until 6 June before continuing its UK tour to Harlow Playhouse (10–11 June), Wilton’s Music Hall in London (16–20 June) and HOME Manchester (24–26 September). Visit the official site HERE