Theatre review: Splendour
Donmar Warehouse
Four Stars
With The Iron Lady, Shame and this autumn’s forthcoming Suffragette, it seems playwright Abi Morgan is on a mission to compensate for the dearth of meaty acting roles for women. True to form, this revival of her critically acclaimed four-woman play Splendour is as challenging and gripping as it was 15 years ago.
It documents one evening inside a tyrant’s palace, where British photojournalist Kathryn has been invited to take a portrait. She’s accompanied by his wife Micheleine, best friend Genevieve and young interpreter Gilma. But civil war breaks out and they find themselves trapped in each other’s company, with only the sound of encroaching gunfire to fill the awkward silences.
The tricky dialogue shifts and turns, sometimes intimate, others expository, and occasionally in an entirely different language. All four actors are up to the task. It’s a play that demands your attention and rewards you handsomely for it.