Faustus: That Damned Woman (NHB Modern Plays) (Nick Hern)

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Director Francesca Goodridge’s vision for this ensemble production is that any of the female ensemble could take the title role. ‘You’re watching Olivia play Faustus. But if you’d have come an hour before, you might have seen another of the ensemble playing Faustus.’ And the production feels like any of the ensemble could have stepped up to take on Faustus’ plight. There is a sense of mutual animosity against persecution throughout the production, at any time an actor might take up the reins and continue Faustus’ fight. God’s abandonment of her mum lead her to reject religion. Driven by her unfulfilled desires and lustful appetite for greatness, she walks through the path of the occult, only to reach the gates of hell and meet the Master himself. Johanna decides to make the ultimate sacrifice and strikes a deal with the devil, condemning her own soul to eternal damnation in return to revenge her mother’s death, and have complete freedom to control her own destiny. Lucifer agrees and also offers her the services of one of his demons, Mephistopheles, to provide her with all the devilish of entertainment, forbidden knowledge and unlimited powers…but pride comes before the fall…was it worth it after all? This play is also available as an A4 Edition. With spiral binding, a larger print size and additional space for notes, this format is ideal for directors, stage managers, actors and others to use in rehearsal and production. Chris Bush's devilishly provocative play Faustus: That Damned Woman is inspired by the works of Marlowe, Goethe and other versions of the Faust myth – and explores what women must sacrifice to achieve greatness, and the legacies that are left behind. The demonic compelling tale is told from a female perspective, inverting its protagonist’s true gender, as Bush willingly places Faustus’ damned soul into a female body. She is most definitely not the first to have visualized Faustus as a woman, but from the few that have attempted to do so successfully over the centuries.

Jodie McNee is magnificent as Johanna, determined that “no man shall stand dominion over me” – not even the devil. She reduces Satan’s right-hand man, Mephistopheles, to little more than her assistant as she goes on her physical and personal journey to understand women’s potential. Danny Lee Wynter is amusingly foppish as her diabolical companion, part of a strong ensemble cast playing multiple parts. That said, the Faust myth endures because it is universal, and I don’t think any of that changes with this new retelling. It’s still the same story of vaulting ambition, hubris and exceptionalism, of what we’re prepared to sacrifice to achieve greatness, of the tantalising thought that, despite all the evidence, we might finally be the one to outsmart the devil. None of this is lost by having a female Faustus, although hopefully it brings into focus the way in which women are still punished for their ambition in a way men often aren’t.

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As part of the deal, Lucifer leaves Mephistopholes as his agent, or Johanna’s PA depending on interpretation. The part of Mephistopholes is played in turn by each of the supporting cast, with each of them adding a subtle layer of depth of intrigue to the character. This does help to lighten proceedings and shine a light on the talented cast who, along with the deliciously darkadelic stage design, are the strong points of the production.

Several members of the ensemble take turns to become the character of Mephistopheles, which can often be grating to an audience forced to glare at the acting inconsistencies.

Church Times/RSCM:

The latest reworking of the legend is by Chris Bush. Faustus: That Damned Woman swaps the gender of the main character and presents Mephistopheles (Danny Lee Wynter) as a camp dandy. Johanna Faustus (an emphatic Jodie McNee) is the daughter of a 17th-century apothecary. Her mother has been hanged as a witch, and she despises the fact that this has been done in the name of Christianity. She makes her alliance with the devil so that “I shall do good.” She is determined that education will allow her to be “in thrall to no man”. The play follows the title character as she travels through history, however many elements of misogyny and inequality remain.