Mrs Warren's Profession review: a star-studded family affair
27 May 2025, 14:47
The West End is in full bloom – quite literally – thanks to this striking revival of Mrs Warren’s Profession at the Garrick Theatre.
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It’s a sharp, engaging production with a star-studded cast led by Imelda Staunton and her real-life daughter, Bessie Carter.
The mother-daughter pairing isn’t just a gimmick.
Their chemistry fizzes, especially in the later scenes where George Bernard Shaw’s dialogue sings.
You can’t take your eyes off them.
Staunton plays the formidable Mrs Warren with grit and flair.
There’s strength and sadness in her performance – she’s a woman shaped by choices she was forced to make.
Carter is intelligent and completely in control as Vivie – cool, composed, and not easily rattled.
The tension between them is magnetic.
The script has been slimmed down to 1 hour 45 minutes with no interval. It’s brisk, but not gutted.
The integrity of the play remains – just more digestible.
There’s no time to drift off or glance at your watch. It zips along and holds its shape.
Visually, it’s a triumph. The set is lush with greenery and flowers, giving the show a postcard-pretty backdrop.
It’s part Bridgerton, part The Crown – no surprise, since Staunton and Carter have graced both.
The effect is dreamy, almost too perfect.
But don’t be fooled by the florals. The story takes a dark turn, and it’s all the more effective for how quietly it creeps in.
What begins as a light, period piece slowly reveals its edge.
By the end, the atmosphere has shifted completely. There’s tension, discomfort, and silence in the audience.
That’s when you know it’s landed.
It’s also refreshing to see a production that trusts the audience. Nothing is spoon-fed.
The big moral questions are left hanging in the air – exactly as they should be.
This is a proper West End play – elegant, well-acted, handsomely staged – but it also feels fresh, current, and surprisingly bold.
Mrs Warren’s Profession might be over a century old, but here, it feels very much alive.
Mrs Warren’s Profession runs at the Garrick Theatre until 16th August.