Hampstead Theatre, London – Alexi Kaye Campbell's new play, Bird Grove, explores the early life of George Eliot, known then as Mary Ann Evans. Elizabeth Dulau delivers a terrific performance as the young woman destined to become a daring pioneer in fiction and real life.
Set in the 1840s, the play focuses on Evans's ideological clash with her father, Robert (Owen Teale), over her refusal to attend church. This leads to her banishment from the family home, Bird Grove. The production balances humour with serious drama, including a comical marriage proposal from the ridiculous Horace Garfield (Jonnie Broadbent).
While some facts have been altered—Eliot was never actually thrown out—the play's emotional power remains strong. Dulau's central performance is lovely, supported by well-tuned acting from the cast. The set, a pale blue wood-panelled space designed by Sarah Beaton, mixes naturalism with abstraction, and a brief appearance by Dorothea from Eliot's Middlemarch adds a moving, dreamlike quality.
