Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tickets and more information: https://www.nimaxtheatres.com/shows/emilia/
Booking until: 15th June 2019
Run time: 2hrs 30 mins

After a successful sold out run at the Globe, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s fierce and fiery feminist play Emilia is currently blowing the roof off the West End and deservedly so. Emilia tells the story of poet Emilia Bassano who, 400 years ago, fought to ensure her voice was heard. In doing so, she helped women across London stand up for themselves and use their voices. And this play continues on Emilia’s legacy in installing the same passion into women today.

I first saw this play towards the end of it’s run at The Globe. I didn’t know anything about it at all, except that theatre twitter kept absolutely raving about it. And they were right. Emilia is the brain child of writer Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and director Nicole Charles and it’s so refreshing to see the universal female experience put in a major theatre in the West End. There are moments in the play where I found myself nodding in agreement with what they were saying. Because I too had experienced similar things.

Where else on the West End can you get an all female cast? Right. Here. Emilia is played by three separate and incredible actresses. Saffron Coomber’s performance as Emilia 1 is refreshing and joyous in Emilia’s youthfulness. Adele Leonce’s performance as Emilia 2 is heartbreaking and fiery. And Clare Perkins’ performance as Emilia 3 is absolutely stunning, her final monologue made my eyes water and the hair on my arms stand up. Absolutely electrifying. The entire supporting cast are incredible but special mentions have to go to Amanda Wilkin as Alphonso, Charity Wakefield as Shakespeare (you know the one) and Nadia Albina as Lady Katherine Howard.

Honestly, I don’t think this review does the play justice in terms of how bloody brilliant it actually is. This is a play for all the women who came before us and the ones who will follow after. An incredibly passionate play about fighting back and using your voice to the loudest possible volume. Something we desperately need for today’s times.

Huge thanks to Nimax Theatres for providing me with a ticket!

Until next time,