Downton Grabby

Red One Theatre at Dovercourt and Bloor ramped up their season this year with 4 consecutive plays since the fall. Now, they've got their first critical hit with After Miss Julie, garnering some stellar reviews from the local papers. Combined that with a half-price Tuesday, this was the first sold-out performance I attended at this small (former pharmacy) venue.

The end of World War II has just been announced on the radio. On an English estate, celebrations were underway. In the kitchen, the cook Christine (Amy Keating) went about her usual duties along with her cheeky fiancee John (Christopher Morris). The appearance of the lady of the house, Miss Julie (Claire Armstrong), threw everything into turmoil. John was obsequious to his "betters" and yet also seethed with envy and contempt. Miss Julie veered between imperious commands that reveled in her privilege and scandalous familiarity and "common" behaviour. It was inevitable that Julie and John fell into a love/hate roll in the hay, alternating between rough sex, tearful protestations of love, bitter class epithets, and giddy plans. The ill-considered tumble had consequences for all of them.

Armstrong and Morris played their roles with intensity (with even some backside nudity), given the roiling undercurrents. Christine provided a grounded middle path: acknowledging societal boundaries but not sacrificing her character in fawning servility. All their accents were shaky, but being such class markers in England I suppose it had to be attempted. I liked the play but not quite at the standing ovation level of the audience. This sort of class stratification and its fall-outs are utterly alien to me, so I found some of the extreme emotion and behaviour more melodramatic than tragic. Nevertheless, After Miss Julie provided an interesting glimpse into this world, which at more than 60 years later no doubt still plays a role across the pond.