The Duchess (of Malfi)

You should know: I sing at parties, I wear colourful dresses, I am headstrong, I won't wear my hair up because you say I should, or do this because you prefer it, in fact I might do the other just to be contrary, but I am utterly and always myself.

The Duchess is a young widow. Her husband is dead, she is free. But her financial position, sexual freedom and youth mean that she could be dangerous, she could get to determine her own life. That is if she isn't stopped first.

Terrified by her sudden power and its implications, her brothers Ferdinand and The Cardinal seek to block The Duchess' desire to re-marry, repress her agency, and dismantle both her authority and spirit through any means necessary, with horrifying results and bloody vengeance from the most unexpected of sources . . .

The Duchess (of Malfi) premiered at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, in May 2019

Auteur

Zinnie Harris and John Webster