Review: AFTER MISS JULIE, Park Theatre

Photo credit: Teddy Cavendish

Patrick Marber’s After Miss Julie, set in July 1945 on the night Churchill is voted out and replaced by Labour’s Clement Attlee, opens with John (Tom Varey) and Christine (Charlene Boyd) discussing the country’s political shift. John, a former soldier now working as a servant to a Labour MP, is soon to be engaged to Christine, the household cook. As celebrations rumble on the outside, John speaks of Miss Julie’s increasingly reckless behaviour, certain it will only end in scandal.

The play unfolds in a sparsely dressed kitchen in the servants’ quarters - an intimate and quietly oppressive space where everything that follows feels heightened. Julie (Liz Francis) is the entitled daughter of the MP that Christine and John work for. Her impulsiveness and disregard for consequence unsettle both the household staff and her social circle. What begins as an interruption to Christine and John’s evening gradually spirals into something far more damaging, culminating in Julie persuading John into a night that permanently shifts their dynamic.

Power sits at the centre of this story. On the surface, Julie holds it: she is wealthy, privileged and protected by status. John is her father’s servant. Yet the events of the night complicate that hierarchy. In the aftermath, John asserts a different kind of dominance, revealing resentment and aggression that feel long suppressed. It’s a compelling shift, and Marber’s writing provides strong foundations for exploring class, gender and social mobility in a country that's on the brink of change.

Where the production falters is in fully realising the emotional depth of that central relationship. The tension between Julie and John should feel combustible and convoluted but most times, it simmers rather than ignites. The major themes: class divide, gender politics, and post-war uncertainty are present and interesting, yet not all of them are explored with equal or enough weight. There are moments of real intensity, though they don’t always build as cohesively as they might.

Varey and Boyd give assured performances. Boyd’s Christine feels steady and emotionally grounded, serving as a quiet moral anchor. Francis’ portrayal of Julie has flashes of vulnerability, volatility and quick wit though some of her character’s emotional transitions feel abrupt, which slightly lessens the impact of her unraveling.

Marber’s adaptation remains thought-provoking and thematically rich. The political framing is smart, and the text itself has depth. With tighter pacing and a more fully realised central dynamic, the production could be far more devastating. As it stands, it is an intriguing and occasionally powerful interpretation that doesn’t quite reach the heights it hints at.

** Two stars

Reviewed by: A.M.H.

After Miss Julie plays at London’s Park Theatre until 28 Feb, with further info here.