Sharmini Brookes: Are we strong women able to stand up for ourselves in the old Feminist sense or weak victims in today’s ‘Me Too’ version?

Jessica is a Crown Court Judge, higher in rank than her barrister husband, Michael but among other things, having to juggle her womanly chores of being a mum to her bullied teenage son, Harry, satisfying her husband’s desires and putting the dinner on the table.

She sees herself as a courtroom feminist warrior, defending women who have been raped or abused by men. So it seems odd to me that in order to do so she, the strong woman, must present the women she defends as vulnerable and unable to stand up to the full scrutiny of the court. The women must be believed at all times because they are the victims.

Obviously, this is not just Jessica’s view. It is the prevailing view in our courts today and is the one that playwright Suzie Miller presents on stage.

The downside of this view of women is revealed when Jessica’s own son, Harry, is accused of rape by his childhood playmate, Amy, after a drunken night at an Hawaiian House Party. Who to believe here? Who is the victim?

Rosamund Pike is superb as the uber-feminist Judge, the helicopter-parenting mother and the sexy wife/cook/dinner party host moving seamlessly between roles, and changes of costume while full time on stage.

She is ably assisted by Jamie Glover as the barrister husband, Michael, who maintains his alpha male position despite being outranked by his wife and Jasper Talbot as the snivelling bullied teenager who secretly watches internet porn sites and can only build up the courage to have sex when he is blind drunk and the girl is asleep.

This is a superbly acted 2-hour play with much food for thought. I highly recommend seeing it at your local Ster Kinekor Nouveau Cinema on 25, 26, and 28 July.

Sharmini Brookes
sharminibrookes@yahoo.co.uk
078 477 6938
Freelance