A really stunning performance of #TheDuchessofMalfi @RSC last night. Visceral and dripping in dark poetry, remarkable storytelling from Maria Aberg and an incredible performance from Joan Iyiola at its torn heart, ably supported by a strong and committed cast.— B&W Thornton (@bwthornton) March 2, 2018
Not to be missed!
#Guardian #Review #TheDuchessofMalfi #StratforduponAvon The Duchess of Malfi review – so bloody you need a blanket https://t.co/0HyBC0X8Zk— B&W Thornton (@bwthornton) March 9, 2018
A defiant woman is destroyed by her corrupt brothers in this violent revenge tragedy, full of dark humour.
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Swan TheatreStratford-upon-Avon
1 Mar - 3 Aug 2018
In an attempt to prevent the fiercely
independent Duchess from marrying the man she loves, her corrupt
brothers go on a disturbing quest to destroy her.
Remarkable for its inventive and grotesque violence, yet full of dark humour, this violent revenge tragedy asks how anyone can survive in a world where masculinity has become toxic.
In 2016, Director Maria Aberg’s stylish modern dress production of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus received rave reviews and transferred to London’s Barbican in the winter. The Daily Telegraph described it as 'pacy, eerie and full of trickery' while The Times called it 'soul-scouring theatre'. We are excited to welcome Maria back to tackle this gory tale of revenge in her own distinct style.
Webster did base The Duchess of Malfi on actual events in Italy. Giovanna d’Aragona was the real-life Duchess of Amalfi, and was widowed at the early age of 19 in 1498. She fell in love with her steward, Antonio of Bologna, and married him in secret, bearing him three children before her brothers discovered the truth and supposedly murdered her for it.
His principal source for the story was William Painter’s collected volume of tales The Palace of Pleasure (1567). Painter’s volume contained translations of many stories by French, Italian and Greek writers, including François de Belleforest’s adaptation of Matteo Bandello’s Novelle (1554). Bandello supposedly knew Antonio of Bologna personally – so his novella can be seen as a first-hand account of real-life events.
Remarkable for its inventive and grotesque violence, yet full of dark humour, this violent revenge tragedy asks how anyone can survive in a world where masculinity has become toxic.
In 2016, Director Maria Aberg’s stylish modern dress production of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus received rave reviews and transferred to London’s Barbican in the winter. The Daily Telegraph described it as 'pacy, eerie and full of trickery' while The Times called it 'soul-scouring theatre'. We are excited to welcome Maria back to tackle this gory tale of revenge in her own distinct style.
Creative Team
Director Maria Aberg | Designer Naomi Dawson | Lighting Natasha Chivers | Music Orlando Gough | Sound Claire Windsor | Movement Ayse TashkiranDate
John Webster’s blood-soaked tragedy was first performed by the King’s Men (the acting company to which Shakespeare belonged) at the indoor Blackfriars Theatre in 1614, before being later revived at the outdoor Globe Theatre. It was published nine years later in 1623 (the same year as Shakespeare’s First Folio), in Quarto edition.Sources
Jacobean dramatists found Italy, as the birthplace of the Renaissance and the centre of Catholic authority, fascinating, and used the (often horrifying) events that happened there as subject matter for their plays. Italy also became a theatrical metaphor, allowing dramatists to criticise the court of King James I of England by setting their plays in the distant European country.Webster did base The Duchess of Malfi on actual events in Italy. Giovanna d’Aragona was the real-life Duchess of Amalfi, and was widowed at the early age of 19 in 1498. She fell in love with her steward, Antonio of Bologna, and married him in secret, bearing him three children before her brothers discovered the truth and supposedly murdered her for it.
His principal source for the story was William Painter’s collected volume of tales The Palace of Pleasure (1567). Painter’s volume contained translations of many stories by French, Italian and Greek writers, including François de Belleforest’s adaptation of Matteo Bandello’s Novelle (1554). Bandello supposedly knew Antonio of Bologna personally – so his novella can be seen as a first-hand account of real-life events.
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