(Nasty Attic) Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

When I was in my teens, I saw the film version of Edward Albee’s ‘Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf’. Starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor as George and Martha. A husband and wife, trapped in a ‘horror-show’ of a marriage, who’ve become so lost and bitter. Their one time passion has transformed into an alcoholic haze of nightly battles. In the film, we join them for a late night beverage with Honey and Nick. A poor unsuspecting couple who’ve been invited over for drinks and end up as pawns. In George and Martha’s ‘fun and games’. I was completely mesmerized by their performance. Burton’s lush, deep muscular voice and Taylor’s shrill, sharp, jagged tones slugging it out on the screen. I’d never seen a couple like this.

Eventually, I grew enough in confidence to take on this show. We worked for six months learning the script. Which was a hybrid of the film and stage productions. It was for me, some of the best acting we as a company produced. It was a delight to direct these more than talented actors in this brilliant piece of sophistry. A master class in play-writing. Where everyone is lying and everyone is telling the truth. Where for all their seeming loathing of each other. It turns out that George and Martha burn so hot with pain because they love one another so much.