Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Edward Albee’s renowned 1962 modern classic is being performed at the Oxford Playhouse. And it is unmissable!
The Playhouse is using this production to relaunch itself as a producing house, under Artistic Director and CEO Mike Tweddle’s leadership. It’s the first inhouse produced show (aside from its annual pantomimes) in over 20 years. And what a great start!
Mike Tweddle says in the opening notes to the programme “This production marks an important moment in Oxford Playhouse’s history…we are thrilled to be once again creating bold, distinctive theatre for Oxford’s wonderfully curious and adventurous audiences.” And he has achieved what he set out to do.
This play is also a very apt choice for the Playhouse. The film version, starred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, two actors who are so closely linked with the Playhouse’s history and heritage, having performed on its stage in the 1960s, and after whom its studio space is named. It feels like a lovely ‘full circle moment’. This production is a staggeringly good tribute to Burton and Taylor.
The cast of four, all give performances that make you remember why you go to see live theatre. Every emotion is there onstage; it is a masterclass in acting from all four. The intensity onstage is palpable.
The main couple, George and Martha are played by Matthew Pidgeon and Katy Stephens, and supported by Ben Hall and Leah Haile as Nick and Honey. All four completely own their roles.
The play is set over one night in George and Martha’s New England college campus house in the early 1960s. George is a university history professor, aspiring to head his department, but realising this is not going to happen. He is bitter, and demoralised. Martha, his wife, is the only daughter of the College President and is equally bitter and broken. They arrive home, late, after a college party, and Martha announces that they have guests coming, newly appointed Nick, and his wife, who Daddy says to ‘be nice to’!
And this is where the various games of cat and mouse between the couple start. It quickly deteriorates into viciousness. Martha against George, George against Martha, and both of them against Nick and Honey. As all four of them continue to drink, the heat rises, and the dialogue between all four becomes more and more scathing, making us the audience, positively squirm with discomfort at times in our seats. The script is dripping with wit and venom.
To a modern audience, with our greater awareness of domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour, it takes on a more nuanced, and even more uncomfortable and disturbing tone, as Martha and George continue to bite verbal chunks out of each other.
It is a long play. Including the interval (and a second brief interlude between Acts 2 and 3) it runs for 3 hours 15 minutes. But my word, for a long play, it powers through! And that is testament to the great acting and direction. At no stage do you feel it overlong.
The set and design are also spot on. I was impressed by the sound design, which was particularly effective when Martha heads to the bathroom offstage.
All four actors more than held their own against each other, and give exceptional performances. Almost duel-like at times. But I found Katy Stephens utterly mesmerising. When she was onstage, visibly breaking and crumbling in front of us, I could not take my eyes off her.
I genuinely hope this has a continued life for the Playhouse and this very talented cast and crew, beyond its Oxford Playhouse run. See it if you can!
This show was reviewed at Oxford Playhouse on the 24th February 2026 where it runs until the 7th March 2026. Tickets available here: Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Oxford Playhouse
Review written by Ruth Hawkins
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Photo credit: Craig Fuller
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