Faustus: That Damned Woman (NHB Modern Plays) (Nick Hern)

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Supported by a strong ensemble, they use movement and dance, developed with Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, to portray brutal killings and iconic moments in history which was essential for moving the story forward. The character of Mephistopheles, who is bound to Faustus, is played by a different member of the cast throughout the play as they are able to change their form and appearance due to being a fallen angel of Lucifer. This gives each of the ensemble cast the opportunity to portray the character in their unique way, whilst also having coherent characteristics. Dzey Z Smith is a particular stand out for their portrayal of Mephistopheles in the way they expressed their sinister misogynistic treatment of woman in their attempts to summon the devil. A scene I felt was particularly powerful was the ensemble acting as Joanna's inner consciousness reciting her sins and weaknesses. Can a woman not – in that most malleable of forms, art – exchange her soul for mortal advantage? Can a woman not write that story? Laying aside the originating historical circumstances – there were numerous references to a German wonder-worker called (Johannes) Faustus in the early-16th century – the imbalance seems particularly odd in the case of this tale. This scene, as well as many others throughout the play, held up a shining mirror to oneself forcing us to look inwards at the sins we may be unwittingly fulfilling.

The concept is compelling. The ideas are fiendish. But, like Faustus herself, the play doesn’t really fulfil its vaulting ambition. Resident/Assistant Director Credits include: Driving Miss Daisy (Theatre Royal Bath/Tour); The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Gielgud Theatre); The White Devil and The Roaring Girl (RSC Swan); Hope Light and Nowhere (Edinburgh Underbelly); A Christmas Carol (New Vic Theatre); Lady Windermere’s Fan; Miss Julie; The Gatekeeper; Beautiful Thing; Good (Royal Exchange); and Othello (Rose Bankside). As a male critic, I'm infinitely aware that there's a danger of this review being turned into an examination of how men treat women who aspire to that greatness or their desire to tell great stories. But a piece of theatre can only be judged on its own terms of whether it engages its audience or not. Despite a highly atmospheric production by Caroline Byrne, and lively performances by a seven-strong cast spiritedly led by Jodie McNee in the title role, I found myself mostly at a distance (and not just because I was seated in row M). Partly its the Faust story itself: it's not meant to be taken literally, of course, but with its time-travelling shifts of pace and place, it's difficult to care what actually happens to her. But there's also something muddled and muted in the storytelling here. As much as I wanted to embrace it, its stridency kept pushing me away. In my new play, my Faustus is a young woman in 17th-century London, the daughter of a plague doctor father and a herbalist mother who was tried and killed as a witch when Faustus was a girl. She’s grown up with a mistrust of organised religion and a fascination with the occult, and exists on the fringes of society. She has no wealth and little agency. By the time she meets Lucifer she knows the risks but sees his offer as the least bad option available to her. As she tells him: The opening scene sets the tone for the play amidst Johanna’s mothers hanging for witchcraft. Olivia Sweeney (Johanna) takes the audience on a journey through time whilst conveying a spectrum of emotions in the search for the truth of her mothers death.

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At this point it is essential to mention the exceptional talent that is Olivia Sweeney who commands the stage from start to finish as Johanna with a dominance that is positively awe-inspiring. The cast are an undoubted highlight of the performance with Olivia Sweeney a strong and constant presence as Johanna Faustus, the pivotal character in this interpretation which sees a reversal in the motives of the Faustus character. Traditionally, Marlowe’s troubled Doctor had sought power and pleasure from his pact with Lucifer, however, Johanna seeks the power to do only good. The strength of the performance lies in the physicality of the performers who take on collective movement as easily as they embody the wit and emotion of characters.

The set design combined natural elements of water and fire effectively centred around an impressive working well which took centre stage. Faustus has suffered all her life. Exhausted by her humanity, trapped inside the limits of her morality, and continuously having been tortured by the demons of her past Associate Director Credits include: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre UK Tour and UK Schools Tour).So, I guess it provokes questions of a woman’s place in society, how we treat women, and today as well, not just through history." The play has been adapted to have a female protagonist front and centre and explores the darker side of the human condition, what women must sacrifice to achieve greatness and provokes further questions of a woman’s place in today’s society. Transcending over 2,000 years, Johanna Faustus travels through time and attempts to change the course of history by selling her soul to the devil, Lucifer.

Extra Content: 'I wanted to create an epic, ambitious, gothic, baroque fever dream of a piece that took a well-known classic and inverted it to say something truthful about the contemporary female experience.' Chris Bush on her play Faustus: That Damned Woman, in The Guardian, 11 December 2019.The legend is best known in the UK through a play of c.1590 by Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus. In it, a scientist makes a pact with the devil that he will give him his soul eternally in exchange for access to untold magical abilities through the demon Mephistopheles. He fritters away these powers on fame, sex, and excess. As death and damnation approach, Faustus recognises the salvation that he has forfeited: “See, see where Christ’s blood streams in the firmament. One drop would save my soul; half a drop.” It is, tragically, too late.

This play is also available as an A4 Edition. With spiral binding, a larger print size and additional space for notes, this format is ideal for directors, stage managers, actors and others to use in rehearsal and production. Visually dynamic, well produced and thoroughly engaging, Storyhouse has produced a very memorable and striking production. You won’t be disappointed!

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As part of the deal, Lucifer leaves Mephistopholes as his agent, or Johanna’s PA depending on interpretation. The part of Mephistopholes is played in turn by each of the supporting cast, with each of them adding a subtle layer of depth of intrigue to the character. This does help to lighten proceedings and shine a light on the talented cast who, along with the deliciously darkadelic stage design, are the strong points of the production. The Jacobean tale of Faustus is given a modern reworking in Francesca Goodridge’s pleasingly dark production which retains the element of the diabolical pact of the original story, but only partially delivers on the central concept of feminist struggle. Francesca continued: "In my mind, you’re watching Olivia play Faustus. But if you’d come an hour before, you might have seen another of the ensemble playing Faustus,” The Faust myth has fascinated writers for more than 400 years, inspiring two classics of Western theatre by Christopher Marlowe and Goethe. But this story of a man selling his soul to the devil in return for knowledge and fame has always been just that: a story of a man. Jocelyn Jee Esien played Doctor Faustus at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse a year ago but, despite a few changes, it remained Marlowe’s text. Chris Bush has now created a female-led spin on the myth in Faustus: That Damned Woman, using it to explore how women navigate power within a patriarchal system. That said, the Faust myth endures because it is universal, and I don’t think any of that changes with this new retelling. It’s still the same story of vaulting ambition, hubris and exceptionalism, of what we’re prepared to sacrifice to achieve greatness, of the tantalising thought that, despite all the evidence, we might finally be the one to outsmart the devil. None of this is lost by having a female Faustus, although hopefully it brings into focus the way in which women are still punished for their ambition in a way men often aren’t.