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South London-based theatre company Spontaneous Productions is thrilled to announce it is reviving its production of Jonathan Kaufman and Martin Stiff's acclaimed play THE ROSES OF WHITECHAPEL - first staged in 2000 at the Brockley Jack and revived in 2010 at Greenwich Playhouse and The Lion & The Unicorn Theatre Kentish Town - for two nights only Upstairs at the Sydenham Centre, 44a Sydenham Rd, London SE26 5QX.
This powerful drama - laced with humour and historical detail - explores the mystery of Jack the Ripper from the perspective of his five canonical victims, putting the women centre stage and condemning Jack himself to the shadows of history...
A 'staged rehearsed reading' with costume, lighting and music by Erik Satie (composed in 1888) the play reunites several of the play's original cast members, and is a not to be missed treat for anyone interested in the Whitechapel murders.
Tickets are on sale now here The Roses of Whitechapel – from Sat 20 November 2021 (spontaneousproductions.co.uk)
Please note this production is not suitable for children.
Original production photos by Ann Pownall
Reviews from the 2010 production, including one by 'furtherwick' of the Casebook Forum
A compelling example of innovative fringe theatre…Cleverly written and staged (Vincent Manning, Remote Goat)
[below, review by 'furtherwick' of Casebook Forum, Nov 2010]
Hello everyone - despite being a longtime ‘lurker’ on the Casebook I have never posted before as, despite having a very keen interest in the Whitechapel murders for over 20 years, I don’t feel I know half as much as many of you on the site!
I was prompted to register though as I noticed nobody had yet posted a review of the Roses of Whitechapel play that was recently shown in London and after seeing the play and being very impressed I wanted to let you know my views of it. I’ve tried to avoid spoiling the plot etc but if you are worried that there may be spoilers below than please don’t read on!
I first heard about the production when I caught an interview with one of the actresses in the play and one of the writers one Sunday on BBC London and quickly booked tickets for the Sunday matinee in Greenwich.
The Greenwich Playhouse is tucked away upstairs in a pub and quite difficult to actually find your way into. Once inside though, I was interested that, as with many Jack the Ripper events I have attended, the majority of the audience were women.
The play is a ‘studio’ production, and forgive me for telling you something you may already know, but essentially this means its very informal, with little, if any, stage dressing and with the cast VERY close to the audience as they sit around the stage area.
The production really focusses on the five canonical women who were murdered and opens with Mary Jane Kelly vomiting on the floor (right by my feet!) before falling to her knees in a drunken stupor. Gradually we are introduced to the women and learn more about their characters and personalities and what life as a prostitute back then must have been like. This was one of the strengths of the play, accurate or not, you really felt you knew more about the women, hearing them speak and act in their own environment before the horrors of their murders. There is plenty of Victorian slang and curses (which tended to die down a bit towards the end of the play, maybe there was an overdose to begin with to set the scene). Costumes were sparsely detailed and didn’t appear to be an accurate representation of what the average woman of that time would have worn.
Most, if not all, of the characters, indulge in lengthy, amusing monologues that again showed us more of what the women’s characters may have been like and bringing their humanity and femininity firmly to the forefront.
All of the women are seen socialising together and chatting a la From Hell which was an aspect of the production I didn’t warm to and seemed to be just a convenient scenario to hang the play on. Although I believe the victims may have recognised each other in passing, from all evidence its highly unlikely they actually knew each other. Some of the dialogue was a little corny and ‘gor blimey guvnor’ but I guess its difficult to avoid this in any Victorian era London-based play.
Gradually the murders occur - none of these are represented on stage - and the story unfolds. Once the victim has demised they occasionally reappear as ‘ghosts’ (this isn’t as naff as it may sound!) commenting on the whole situation. The actresses also take on other roles, such as policemen etc. Jack himself is represented by an anonomous, tall, elegant, foreboding gent. The actor had a menacing quality but unfortunately was slightly wooden.
Most of the performances are extremely good, especially Rebecca Livermore as Catherin Eddowes who was exceptional. The producers didn’t go down the usual route of hiring very young, very pretty women to play the victims although a couple were possibly younger than they should have been (and ironically Laoisha O’Callaghan who played Mary Jane Kelly a little older). The only really weak performance for me was that of Sara Mason who played Polly Nichols and unfortunately her role pretty much led the entire piece offering narratives and monologues throughout. Sadly, though she just didn’t carry it off. Eddowes had a Birmingham accent and Liz Stride spoke with a strong Swedish voice which gave added accuracy to the play.
The first part of the play was much longer than the second - all in all the performance lasted about an hour and a half with the second part a mere 20 minutes. Where as the first half was a little hit and miss and didn’t really satisfy, the second was a stormer, crackling with tension as the performance built to the death of Mary Jane Kelly. I won’t go in to too much detail for fear of spoiling the play for anyone else who eventually sees it, but it was gripping, emotional stuff. And for me the emotional aspect was the surprise and, in retrospect, the whole purpose of the play.
It was all about the women. Forget Jack in a top hat with gladstone bag gliding through the London fog, what the play aimed to do was show that real women with histories and families, were murdered and that they shouldn’t be forgotten. Rather than being simply secondary characters in the Jack the Ripper legend, the Roses of Whitechapel made the murdered women the ‘starring’ roles in the tragic tale, a premise summed up at the end of the performance, where post mortum, they confront Jack and accuse him of killing for fame and legendary status and then go on to point out that however today nobody knows who Jack the Ripper actually was but the world (or at least Ripperologists) know the names of Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Liz Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly and it is actually their names that have gone down in history.
This climax to the performance was incredibly moving and thought provoking and gave a whole new angle on the Jack the Ripper story.
All in all a fascinating new aspect on the tale.
This powerful drama - laced with humour and historical detail - explores the mystery of Jack the Ripper from the perspective of his five canonical victims, putting the women centre stage and condemning Jack himself to the shadows of history...
A 'staged rehearsed reading' with costume, lighting and music by Erik Satie (composed in 1888) the play reunites several of the play's original cast members, and is a not to be missed treat for anyone interested in the Whitechapel murders.
Tickets are on sale now here The Roses of Whitechapel – from Sat 20 November 2021 (spontaneousproductions.co.uk)
Please note this production is not suitable for children.
Original production photos by Ann Pownall
Reviews from the 2010 production, including one by 'furtherwick' of the Casebook Forum
A compelling example of innovative fringe theatre…Cleverly written and staged (Vincent Manning, Remote Goat)
- A rewarding and rich portrayal of the way of life of five very different women…vivid performances… intensely moving moments (online review by Dave Jordan)
- The play portrays the real hardships these women suffered, and for once the women, not their murderer are the centre of the story….For any Ripper enthusiast this is the play to see. (online review by Liz Evenstad)
- ‘I thought the show was absolutely brilliant, the script and direction really made us think differently about a story we all know – I love the way you used each character to tell the story, not just as a participant but as an observer.’ (Elouise Calabria)
[below, review by 'furtherwick' of Casebook Forum, Nov 2010]
Hello everyone - despite being a longtime ‘lurker’ on the Casebook I have never posted before as, despite having a very keen interest in the Whitechapel murders for over 20 years, I don’t feel I know half as much as many of you on the site!
I was prompted to register though as I noticed nobody had yet posted a review of the Roses of Whitechapel play that was recently shown in London and after seeing the play and being very impressed I wanted to let you know my views of it. I’ve tried to avoid spoiling the plot etc but if you are worried that there may be spoilers below than please don’t read on!
I first heard about the production when I caught an interview with one of the actresses in the play and one of the writers one Sunday on BBC London and quickly booked tickets for the Sunday matinee in Greenwich.
The Greenwich Playhouse is tucked away upstairs in a pub and quite difficult to actually find your way into. Once inside though, I was interested that, as with many Jack the Ripper events I have attended, the majority of the audience were women.
The play is a ‘studio’ production, and forgive me for telling you something you may already know, but essentially this means its very informal, with little, if any, stage dressing and with the cast VERY close to the audience as they sit around the stage area.
The production really focusses on the five canonical women who were murdered and opens with Mary Jane Kelly vomiting on the floor (right by my feet!) before falling to her knees in a drunken stupor. Gradually we are introduced to the women and learn more about their characters and personalities and what life as a prostitute back then must have been like. This was one of the strengths of the play, accurate or not, you really felt you knew more about the women, hearing them speak and act in their own environment before the horrors of their murders. There is plenty of Victorian slang and curses (which tended to die down a bit towards the end of the play, maybe there was an overdose to begin with to set the scene). Costumes were sparsely detailed and didn’t appear to be an accurate representation of what the average woman of that time would have worn.
Most, if not all, of the characters, indulge in lengthy, amusing monologues that again showed us more of what the women’s characters may have been like and bringing their humanity and femininity firmly to the forefront.
All of the women are seen socialising together and chatting a la From Hell which was an aspect of the production I didn’t warm to and seemed to be just a convenient scenario to hang the play on. Although I believe the victims may have recognised each other in passing, from all evidence its highly unlikely they actually knew each other. Some of the dialogue was a little corny and ‘gor blimey guvnor’ but I guess its difficult to avoid this in any Victorian era London-based play.
Gradually the murders occur - none of these are represented on stage - and the story unfolds. Once the victim has demised they occasionally reappear as ‘ghosts’ (this isn’t as naff as it may sound!) commenting on the whole situation. The actresses also take on other roles, such as policemen etc. Jack himself is represented by an anonomous, tall, elegant, foreboding gent. The actor had a menacing quality but unfortunately was slightly wooden.
Most of the performances are extremely good, especially Rebecca Livermore as Catherin Eddowes who was exceptional. The producers didn’t go down the usual route of hiring very young, very pretty women to play the victims although a couple were possibly younger than they should have been (and ironically Laoisha O’Callaghan who played Mary Jane Kelly a little older). The only really weak performance for me was that of Sara Mason who played Polly Nichols and unfortunately her role pretty much led the entire piece offering narratives and monologues throughout. Sadly, though she just didn’t carry it off. Eddowes had a Birmingham accent and Liz Stride spoke with a strong Swedish voice which gave added accuracy to the play.
The first part of the play was much longer than the second - all in all the performance lasted about an hour and a half with the second part a mere 20 minutes. Where as the first half was a little hit and miss and didn’t really satisfy, the second was a stormer, crackling with tension as the performance built to the death of Mary Jane Kelly. I won’t go in to too much detail for fear of spoiling the play for anyone else who eventually sees it, but it was gripping, emotional stuff. And for me the emotional aspect was the surprise and, in retrospect, the whole purpose of the play.
It was all about the women. Forget Jack in a top hat with gladstone bag gliding through the London fog, what the play aimed to do was show that real women with histories and families, were murdered and that they shouldn’t be forgotten. Rather than being simply secondary characters in the Jack the Ripper legend, the Roses of Whitechapel made the murdered women the ‘starring’ roles in the tragic tale, a premise summed up at the end of the performance, where post mortum, they confront Jack and accuse him of killing for fame and legendary status and then go on to point out that however today nobody knows who Jack the Ripper actually was but the world (or at least Ripperologists) know the names of Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Liz Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly and it is actually their names that have gone down in history.
This climax to the performance was incredibly moving and thought provoking and gave a whole new angle on the Jack the Ripper story.
All in all a fascinating new aspect on the tale.