Review: Emilia at the Vaudeville Theatre

The Three Emilias - Clare Perkins, Saffron Coomber, Adelle Leonce - pic:  http://www.stagereview.co.uk 

I remember stepping into the Vaudeville Theatre without really knowing what to expect. Before booking the show, I’ve heard really good things about it. People saying how inspired, how affected they were coming out of it. Even reviews raved about it. If so many talked about it that way, it must be good right? So, learning it would close soon, I decided to buy a ticket.

Before going, I only knew one thing. I knew that it was the story of one of the first published women in England during Shakespeare’s time. As a writer and a woman, it was enough to convince me. History-based shows always fascinated me but knowing that I would learn about a woman whose work and story had been ignored for centuries, I was even more curious about it. I just hoped it would live up to its praise. 

Shakespeare's Globe’s production Emilia tells the story of Emilia Bassano, a poet, a mother and a feminist from the 17th century. Her name and her story have long been forgotten until writer Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and director Nicole Charles decided to bring her back to life in a show that would not only give Emilia a voice but also honour her by inspiring generations to come. Composed of an all-female cast, Emilia’ story is our story and, this time, it will be heard. Three Emilias - Saffron Coomber, Adelle Leonce and Clare Perkins - then strode the stage every night telling their story, representing three symbolic chapters of her life. 

First, we meet Saffron Coomber as Emilia #1. She plays with brilliance a young, hopeful girl who grows up into a clever young woman. She brings both passion and youth to the stage as we see start the journey with her and witness how cleverly she is able to transform Emilia from a girl to a woman in a few scenes. Emilia #1 is led by her fiery spirit and fervent heart and Saffron couldn’t have done it better. There is a certain fire that lights up in her eyes when her character reads a book or writes her poetry. This fire burns even more brightly when she holds her baby girl close to her heart. Saffron gives us such an emotional and heartfelt performance that the audience was already in tears halfway through the first act. 

Adelle Leonce then takes her place as Emilia #2. Adelle plays Emilia with a more mature, more determined manner. Her Emilia has already suffered and she wants justice. She has a wildfire burning inside of her and she’s done taming it. Something we can see in her eyes, in her expressions, in the way she moves. Adelle brings a touch of madness into the character as Emilia #2 slowly loses her mind. She delivers a powerful, angry speech at the end of the first act and we can do nothing except listen to her every word. She is enthralling. 

Adelle takes us on a journey as well, as, during the second act, her character finds hope again through teaching. We see something snap deep inside her and the fire in her eyes is born again. It still is burning brightly as she reaches a breaking point and goes into an unseen rage. The two other Emilias join her and it is almost frightening.   

This is then Clare Perkins’ - Emilia #3 - turn. Clare gives us a wiser, older Emilia. An Emilia who has seen the world as it is. She wears it on her face, in her eyes. She is not a young, naive girl anymore. Clare’s Emilia has played some kind of narrator throughout the play, being the voice of the Emilias before her, but now, it’s her time to speak. 

Clare Perkins’s voice is something out-of-this-world. It holds power. She knows how to keep us listening, and by the time she is done talking, we are the one out-of-breath. Her final monologue is what moved me the most. Not only does she play the role perfectly, as if it was built especially for her, but she has, like Emilia, a fire burning inside of her. And she is spreading it into us. At the end of the play, there wasn’t a dry eye in the audience. 

Saffron, Adelle and Clare brought the fire onstage and gave it to us. But the show wouldn’t be complete without its incredible ensemble. What amazed me the most about it is how the writers and producers decided to play with the gender of its cast. Contrary to the 17th-century theatre, Emilia has an all-female and diverse cast, playing both men and women. And, let me tell you, they did it really well. Their characters are so believable, you can almost forget that they are played by women. I could only see their characters. This is only a proof of the entire ensemble’s talents. They strode the stage as men or women, upper-class aristocrats or commoners, poets or South of the Rivers women, soldiers or even Shakespearian actors. 

The talent of these performers was also witnessed through their ability to catch the audience’s attention and even, make us part of the play. Either by acknowledging us - at some point, Saffron gives a red rose to a girl in the front row - or by sitting next to people in the balconies while there is a representation of one of Shakespeare’s play. Going even further, Clare breaks the fourth wall since the beginning. She starts the play by addressing us directly and she remains the inner-voice of the Emilias throughout the show. She knows she has an audience and she is telling us to listen to her, to hear her story. 

What’s even more fascinating is that the show plays with both past and modern elements. For instance, the stage is bare except for a few chairs and som props, such as candles or pieces of parchment on which the Emilias write their poems. The cast is also dressed according to the 17th-century fashion. And yet, many contemporary features are integrated into the play. In the middle of a scene, a modern song will suddenly come up and the cast will start dancing on it, in a very fashionable way. To be honest, I was taken aback at first. This is not something you expect in a play about 17th-century women. And it could have been wrong and inappropriate. But it was done cleverly and, although it seemed a bit out-of-place, these scenes allowed the audience a break from the severity of the play. It helped us relax and laugh, and well, how can anyone resist these moves?      

However, I have to admit that, even though the play brings to light Emilia’s story and her legacy, I was a bit bothered by the historical inaccuracies. We know very little of Emilia and her alleged relationship with Shakespeare is neither confirmed nor refuted. No one knows if she actually is the ‘Dark Lady’ from one of Shakespeare’s sonnets, no one knows if they actually even knew each other. They were moving into very different circles and there is only a slight chance they met. So, if you are looking for a real, authentic account of Emilia Bassano’s life or even if you are a fan of Shakespeare, this is not the show for you.   

But, as I said, Emilia’s story was lost into History. The writers made an artistic decision on where they wanted the story to go and it works. It might not be the truth but who are we to know? 

The message Emilia wanted to spread all those centuries ago finally had the opportunity to be told and heard. And this is what matters. 

Because, behind her story, the show highlights the stories of millions of women everywhere. We are all Emilia. We’ve been unheard, ignored, pushed aside. Emilia took her pen, and despite the limitations of the time, she wrote. She taught. She fought. She didn’t have a voice so she created one for herself. We all need to find our voice and let it be heard. Loud and clear.  

Her message is clear: It’s now up to us to tell her story. Embrace the fire. Spread it. Let it burn all around you until the entire world finally wakes up and listens. 

Emilia was one of the most real and awakening pieces of theatre I had seen in a long time. I did not expect it to be that poignant and powerful and I am so glad I could catch this show before it closed on June 1st. The three leading ladies are beyond talented and the ensemble completely blew me away. They made me believe. They made me listen. I truly think it is worth all the praise it received and I hope it might be revived someday.