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“An unforgettable theatrical experience”

A feverishly caustic portrayal of feminine angst which sets hearts and minds alight; “Mary and the Hyenas” written by Maureen Lennon besmirches all antiquated notions of femininity – authoritatively dismantling them with the molecular precision of her razor-sharp feminist tongue-tip protruding from the ambivalent, sallow cheek of historic female oppression – unravelling the complexities of womanhood with fearless intensity and leaving no stone unturned.

Mary Wollstonecraft’s voice is reincarnated as she and the apparition of her youngest daughter contemplate her final ten days of earthly existence; lamenting the trials of a lifetime devoted to the cause of women’s rights. Grown from the oppressive regime of a violent father and a mother conditioned by misogyny, into a self-made philanthropic entrepreneur pioneering the education of girls and writing such pinnacle works as “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” – Mary’s legacy is that of ‘Britain’s first feminist’.

Leading lady Laura Elsworthy delivers gut-wrenching shock and awe – effortlessly embodying a fiery indignation in her portrayal – adjacently poised alongside the cutting wit and perfectly nuanced physical melodrama of Kate Hampson and Beth Crame. Elexi Walker’s robust presence and unfaltering powerhouse vocal, the poignant dialogue of Kat Johns-Burke delivered with unwavering connection, the refined delicacy of Ainy Medina’s angelic soprano; king drag and diverse multi-rolling from a phenomenal all-female cast. Esther Richardson’s direction boasts hierarchal idealism through an innovative use of levels.

An invigorated original score from electronic post-punk artist ‘Billynomates’ immortalised the futuristic displacement of the protagonist. The balanced vocal ensemble posed the question “How Do You Grow a Girl?” then encouraged the audience to “Find Your Tribe” – pertaining to the incredible founding of Wollstonecraft’s school in Newington Green (1784 – 1786).

From the dazzling anachronistic-period costumes to the brutalism of such imposing two-storey staging (almost resembling a tesseract inverting in on itself, encompassing an all-too-familiar sense of undisturbed continuity) and its up-tempo, richly layered musical arrangement – every element coalesces harmoniously to create an unforgettable theatrical experience which challenges and provokes even the most complex ideologies of progressive egalitarianism.

This biographic homage to the ‘Mother of Feminism’ will have you questioning the existence of angels among us, sent before their time – their subsequent enduring of the patriarchy and its burning ambition to diminish the bravery of our foregone sisters in arms.