The Duchess of Malfi, Almeida Theatre

The story is time-old, but its themes are timeless: love, marriage and children don’t always mean a happy ending. The Duchess of Malfi comes to the Almeida stage. The Jacobean revenge tragedy is reimagined by director Rebecca Frecknall, who is best known for a stunning revival of Tennessee Williams's Summer and Smoke.

John Webster’s classic begins a love story but tumbles into lurid tragedy. The titular Duchess of Malfi marries below her station, and her plotting brothers are hungry for power and revenge. Hamlet-esque and writhing with evil deeds, this Jacobean drama should be brought to the fore under Frecknall’s direction.

Lydia Wilson plays the Duchess. Most recognisable from her film credits About Time and Never Let Me Go and television appearances in Requiem and Black Mirror, she has previously appeared at the Almeida in King Charles II, for which she was nominated for Best Actress at the 2015 Olivier Awards.

Rebecca Frecknall, associate director at the Almeida, directed a production of Chekov’s Three Sisters there earlier this year. Prior to that, she was resident director at Northern Stage and winner of the acclaimed RTYDS Bursary. Praised as more of a ‘conductor’ than a ‘director’ (Variety), with her Webster’s tragedy should be in safe (or appealingly audacious) hands.

The Almeida in Islington has a reputation for soul-searching, innovative theatre that champions up-and-coming artists and directors, crediting itself with launching ‘the next generation of British artists onto the world stage.’ Offering 3000 tickets priced at £5 a year to under-25s, it also keeps its audience as contemporary as its adaptations. We look forward to seeing how this Jacobean tragedy plays out in a fresh new production.

Tickets for The Duchess of Malfi go on sale at 10am on Thursday 26 September