by Morgane Hue
A chair, a piano and some curtains in the Storyhouse theatre: that’s all it took for the highly talented actress Kit Green to deliver one of the finest interpretations of Virginia Woolf’s famous novel, Mrs Dalloway. Co-produced by Storyhouse, Harlow Playhouse and CutToTheChase Production, this play that took place on Friday 29 May and ends this Saturday explores the intertwined fates of the veteran Septimus Smith and the socialite hostess Clarissa Dalloway.
Silence Valls over the room, then an unexpected invitation to the audience to join Mrs Dalloway’s famous party. People love to be involved and the Best Supporting Actress at 2025 Nation Film Awards knows that. Breaking the fourth wall in theatre is still quite unusual even in 2026, yet Kit Green calmly took to the stage and, with the audience, launched into a play centred on inclusivity and punctuated by the word ‘together’. In the public, you could see people dancing, singing and laughing heartily, just as they would at a family gathering.
Whilst we encounter the traditional elements of Virginia Woolf’s novel, ranging from the famous bouquet of roses to Mr Smith’s post-traumatic shock, recounted through the lens of stream of consciousness ; we also discover the thoughts of the actress herself, who identifies with the writer Virginia Woolf. Perhaps this is what makes the play so special and above all, authentic.
The ease with which Kit Green managed to switch between the 16 different roles she played left us all speechless. You have to be incredibly talented to tackle such sensitive issues relating to mental health, a very contemporary topic that affects so many people today more than ever, and still manage to bring a touch of light-hearted humour without it feeling out of place.
The real question is : is there anything Kit Green can’t do? That’s the question that struck me as I watched the play. Between her fluid dance movements, her eloquence in delivering Virginia Woolf’s text, and her ability to put an entire room at ease, I still haven’t found the answer to my question.
The work on the costumes is equally impressive. Indeed, each costume, designed specifically to match the personalities of the various characters, has played a major part in bringing the production to life. The same is true of the lighting effects and the projected videos, which draw us even deeper into the experience. And how could we not mention the soundtrack, which played such a vital role in the play ? The music, accompanied by Kit Green’s sublime voice, was truly moving.
I really liked the fact that this play is accessible to everyone and that you don’t necessarily need to have read the book to understand it (although I do think it’s always best to read at least a summary). I left the theatre deeply moved by the beautiful message about life that Kit Green so successfully conveyed to the whole audience. Hopefully, we’ll see her again with a new play in the Storyhouse.
(Picture credit: Andrew AB)
