Classy, elegant and a homage to female writers since Sappho, An Audience with Virginia Woolf: Writing One’s Mind explores the author’s life through the struggles she faced and her literary heroines. From placing emphasis on women who have been excluded from the literary canon to unearthing a deep understanding of Woolf’s life, Lucy Stevens’ portrayal commanded the room and honoured female authors.
This performance made me question legacies, especially within literature. If the legacy of Sappho was that women were permitted to write about their sexuality; if the legacy of the Brontës was that women are just as capable writers as men, then Stevens’ show questions what Woolf’s legacy is. Undoubtedly, a clear critique of patriarchy — reinforced by reading out passages of Woolf’s works and reflecting on which women were allowed to write in the past.
Much of this performance considered the personal legacy of Woolf’s mother (who died when she was only 13) and her sister, the painter Vanessa Bell. Whilst Woolf has an international and timeless reputation today, Stevens’ portrayal reminded audiences of who she was writing for, and why. This touch allowed audiences to fully relate to the story and indeed find more meaning in her words. The way in which Woolf was portrayed as mad and almost in a trance was also captivating.
No performance about Virginia Woolf would be complete without a discussion of her long-time lover, Vita Sackville-West, whom her novel Orlando was inspired by. Stevens’ performance beautifully depicted Woolf’s soft and vulnerable side, further reinforced by Stevens’ singing throughout the performance, inspired by Woolf, Aphra Behn and Shakespeare’s works, bringing a melancholy and reflective tone to the performance.
In moments, this performance could have reminded us why Woolf’s work and life story is still relevant today. Closing with the suggestion that some men are ‘tyrants, obsolete,’ I felt the anger experienced by First Wave feminists toward male abuses of power. However, this performance explored issues that modern feminists continue to struggle against, especially sexual harassment and rape; this could have been tied together more cohesively.
Ultimately, this performance was a highly impressive and sophisticated homage to one of the most progressive writers of 20th century Britain, and I am in awe of how well Stevens understood Woolf, her life and her relation to female authors.
An Audience with Virginia Woolf: Writing One’s Mind is running until 30th August at Drawing Room, Assembly Rooms (George Street). Buy tickets here.
Image by Laura Doddington, provided to The Student as press material.
