Maureen Lipman delivers compelling performance in revival of Martin Sherman’s Rose – review
We’ve covered some of Martin Sherman’s work previously – the playwright is best known for seminal show Bent, about the persecution of gay men during the Holocaust; we covered the National Theatre’s one-off Pride production of that show, starring Russell Tovey, back in 2016.
We also reviewed the UK premiere of his queer play Gently Down The Stream when it opened at the Park Theatre in 2018. Rose is something entirely different – a monologue detailing the life of one Jewish woman through the 20th Century.
It’s an epic journey, as the eponymous Rose is displaced during the Second World War; we follow her journey as she tries to reach Palestine, only to end up in Miami via Atlantic City.
There’s a lot to get through in two and a half hours. Maureen Lipman is compelling in the role. It’s a simple, static production – Lipman delivers the monologue seated on a bench, occasionally sipping water or popping a pill for her health (or, on one occasion, mixing the unpleasant-tasting pills with some much more palatable ice cream).
