Theatre Review - 'Top girls' written by Caryl Churchill was performed by the Oxford Stage company at the Gardner Arts Centre, University of Sussex in Brighton on Wednesday 3rd October 2001.

In the second act scene 2, You see the place Marline works and you realise that the feminist image is flawed. One collage has had a mental beak down the other is having affairs with married men and has to hid in the back of the car in an undignified way. She works in a job agency and she has just had a promotion and has beaten a male collage to the post of promotion and caused his wife to come in and ask her to give up her job because she is a woman. Angie then come in and talks to Marline and her collages there are interviews that take place that represent like the waitress and Joyce how for some people to get to the top they have to step on other people.

In the third act, you go back a year and find out how Marline gave Angie up and left to flow her life and burdens Joyce with Angie which cause her husband to leave and Joyce to lose her own child. You see the different political views of Marline and her sister and how she blames people but Joyce blames the system.

Staging is an open cut away proscenium stage with a raised area that all the action takes place in this centres the eye there was a door frame to the right of the stage and ramp of to the wings. In the first, act host and the guests only use the door. In the second scene 2 it is used as the entrance to the office and in the third act it is used as the door in to the kitchen. There is a structure at the back of the stage and this has an image projected on it is a non- descript picture. This could resemble a moon or an eye and in the second act is a gauze and used as an acting space. It is some thing that is time-less it could depict that these women have come from different times. In the first act there is a table set in the centre of the raised area. Set out in a grand style as if you are in a restaurant there are seats all the way round the table as shown on the first diagram above. One seat has its back to the audience though this seat is only taken up for part of the act as one character comes in late. The set is all black except for the backdrop and the table. In the second the garden is set out and then an office of the 80’s. Then in the last act it is set out as a working class poor kitchen of the early 80’s late 70’s. There are few special effects as they are not needed it this realistic play. The atmosphere of the act is one of a dinner with friends a realistic formal dinner. This act worked very well it was simple but effective.

The costumes worn by all the charters were of their time but showing their role in the society. They all worked well and were as follows:

Act 1

1. Isabella bird – Victorian walking suit – Green tartan showed that she was a traveller, unusual for her time and she was not daunted by what the thinking of the time is.
2. Dull Gret – a Viking/Norman war suit rather dirty and well worn – showed that she was an earthy woman who fort men beast and even the devil
3. Pope Joan – Traditional pope’s gown – she was the only woman pope that was found out and is shown well in the costume you can tell immediately and it describes the charter slightly indulgent (she is even sick as she has indulged to much).
4. Lady Nijo – a traditional Japanese dress – a traditional woman but sill revolutionary of her time and travelled up the social class.
5. Patienet Griselda – wears plats and a medieval princess’s costume – Depict her well as she the wife of a medieval king.
6. Marlene – contemporary businesswoman in a suite representing the aspiring woman she is.

All the costume tell us a bit about each charter and their life style all of them fighting in their own way for their place in a mans world. All the costume worked well in this act and they showed each charter well though they all were different they showed that they had a common link.

Marline especially with her black suit showed the contemporary woman trying to make it in the 20th century and that they try to dress in the full suit the direct equivalent to the male counter part in all ways.

Act 2 +3

6.    Marlene – contemporary businesswoman in a suite representing the aspiring woman she is.

7. Angie – working class clothing poor simple , One dress that marline gave her
8. Kit - working class clothing poor simple
9. Joyce - working class clothing poor simple
10. Mrs Kidd – Upper class house wife clothing her beat cloths to leave the house
11. Isabella - contemporary businesswoman in a suite representing the aspiring woman she is.
12. Jeanine – contemporary businesswoman in a suite representing the aspiring woman she is.
13. Shona - contemporary businesswoman in a suite representing the aspiring woman that she want to be so lies to get there.
14. Louise - older woman with cardigan works hard but no real bite too kind.
15. Win - contemporary businesswoman in a suite representing the aspiring woman.

Acting was a naturalistic style and was very complicated at times when the actors all talked over each other in a style, which happens, in real life. The actors’ work by bouncing lines off each other there is few unnecessary and when there was it was kept to the bare minimum. The style was hectic but was eructed very well. The projection was good there were no point when I struggled to listen and movement and speech were in a realistic style.