Top Girls review: Caryl Churchill's sharp take on women's struggle still has topical bite

1/20
Henry Hitchings4 April 2019

What do women give up in order to be successful? That’s the question at the heart of Caryl Churchill’s ferociously inventive play, and 37 years on from its premiere it still has an obvious topical bite.

Katherine Kingsley’s enjoyably brash Marlene is an executive who has just landed a big promotion at the Top Girls employment agency. Her triumph is a symptom of a society where ambition is used as an excuse for self-obsession. To celebrate her rise, she hosts a spectacular fantasy dinner party for women from the past — high achievers, though they all turn out to have made painful sacrifices.

Audacious Victorian traveller Isabella Bird rubs shoulders with a grunting freedom-fighter known as Dull Gret and the medieval Japanese courtesan Lady Nijo. They’re joined by Griselda, a figure from folklore who’s traditionally seen as embodying patience in the face of cruelty, and Amanda Lawrence’s memorably quirky ninth-century Pope Joan, who disguised herself as a man but blew her cover by giving birth during a procession.

Lyndsey Turner’s lavish production could make more of the dreamlike surrealism of this occasion. It’s cryptic without being disturbing and never quite catches the rhythms of Churchill’s overlapping dialogue, feeling stilted more often than dynamic. Later scenes aren't consistently involving, though Marlene's viciously competitive workplace and the poverty from which she’s escaped are nicely observed, as are her awkward relationships with her estranged sister Joyce and immature niece Angie.

Crucially, Churchill’s playfulness still comes across, and so does her anger. Top Girls is an argument for compassion and a sharp look at social inequality, demanding a place at the table for women of all backgrounds.

Until June 22 (020 7452 3000, nationaltheatre.org.uk)

Latest theatre reviews

1/50

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in