Mrs Warren's Profession

Mrs Warren's Profession was banned in the early 1900s by Britain's official theatre censor, the Lord Chamberlain. State censorship remained in place until 1968 when, thankfully, It ended and people were finally allowed to make decisions for themselves. It's no surprise this powerful play still resonates so strongly, in a world where woman are often still repressed and their choices limited by patriarchal societies. This time around it's on stage at the Garrick Theatre starring Imelda Staunton (The Crown, Hello, Dolly!, Follies) as Mrs Warren herself and her real-life daughter Bessie Carter, who delighted us in TV's popular costume drama series Bridgerton, as Vivie.

Written by George Bernard Shaw, this time around the classic is directed by Dominic Cooke with design by Chloe Lamford and casting by Amy Ball. The story? Clever Vivie has just come home after graduating from university. Having never really got to know her own mum, this is her chance. But she's shocked to discover her mother used to be a prostitute and still owns the brothel that made her fortune and paid for her offspring's university studies. We learn the reasons behind Mrs Warren's career, explore the hypocrisy of society at the time, and discover the limited opportunities given to women at the time. Fantastic!