Big Up to Big Love

Yup just when I thought all was lost and I was to starve culturally for the week, theatre swung in to save the day.

Big Love at the Peacock was great - a great play with a great cast and beautiful set, brilliantly directed by the (yet to disappoint) Selina Cartmell.

Based on The Suppliant Women by Aeschylus (believed to be the oldest surviving play of the Western world), Big Love tells the tale of 50 women being forced to marry their cousins against their will. It sets the scene for much discussion on gender roles and relations, marriage, power and love.

The beau enjoyed it (Yey the beau likes theatre!) but was unimpressed by the portrayal of men in the play, one of whom gives a speech moreorless justifying domestic violence. I'm pretty sure that character wasn't meant to be a symbol for maleness or a role model within the play. I think the beau was right, however, to think the male perspective is underrepresented in the play. We get to hear from the women far more than from the men and it might have been more interesting had it been more balanced.

Yet again the Guardian review verbalises my thoughts succinctly and the Irish Times review pinpoints some of the shows minor flaws.

It gets the Dobbyn 'worth a look' verdict.