Writer: Caryl Churchill
Director: Suba Das
Venturing into The Everyman Theatre, you are greeted with the sound of the greatest hits from the 80s and an elegantly feminine table scene. With hanging sheer white fabric and a looming large round table acting as the initial backdrop, you are transported to what seems to be a welcoming 1980s restaurant.
You are then greeted by protagonist Marlene, played by Tala Gouveia, as she is about to celebrate her newly gained promotion. One by one, the guests at her celebration begin to arrive, hailing from different points and places in history.
This particular production of Top Girls was produced to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Caryl Churchill’s provocatively feminist play. Heaped with symbolism and politics, Top Girls brings about the overarching similar experiences women have faced throughout history while tackling the idea of Capitalist Feminism of the 1980s. The play spans the setting of Marlene’s high-flying and stylish London workplace to the dark and dingy working-class Toxteth house where her family reside.
As the guests begin to converse, the technique of overlapping dialogue is used to symbolise the overlapping similarities these women have while also conveying the competitiveness of women throughout history to survive in the patriarchal societies they come from. Though this stylistic technique is used well and is true to the original production, it became hard to follow as the narratives of the characters often got lost. Yet, the tales of each of the historic characters reflect on the current position Marlene is in, foreshadowing the narrative for the rest of the play.
The stage and set design is sensational and immerses you in the narrative. From a large neon backdrop and desks acting as Marlene’s successful job to the slum-like recreation of a council house in Toxteth, the set was beautifully and intentionally designed.
As the non-linear play shifts back in time to when Marlene visits her sister and niece in Toxteth, the narrative of female empowerment in the workplace shifts to 1980s politics with the rise of Margaret Thatcher. The climax of the show reveals the sister’s class difference being one of the main driving forces of their strained relationship, thus, highlighting the importance of the intersectionality of feminism regarding Class.
Gouveia’s performance of Marlene provided a tough and hard-working character that was shaped by the male-dominated industry she thrived in. Marlene acted as the product of Capitalist Feminism and represented the new Conservative class under Margaret Thatcher.
Das’s direction was quick and impactful. Transitions between scenes made excellent use of the stage and what the theatre provided. Though, the scenes that where supposedly high in tension seemed to lack emotion which felt conservative and mild.
Top Girls is a feminist masterpiece and delves deep into the everlasting struggles women will continue to have in a male-dominated society. The mainly female cast and crew accomplished to drive home all of the points in which Churchill intended to make. The immensely talented cast provided many moments of realism and humour throughout and brought to life so many complex characters. This intellectual production is worth experiencing for the cast alone.
Runs Until 25th March
