Flaubert’s novel is given a refreshing shake up in this irreverent, irrepressible and irresistible play.
The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary has been announced as the Christmas show at Southwark Playhouse Borough, running from 5th December to 11th January. The classic Flaubert novel about a woman struggling with the patriarchy – scandalous at time of publishing in 1856 – receives a comic, fast-paced adaptation with a cast of four all playing multiple roles. Presented by Ha Hum Ah Productions and the Minack Theatre, the production was previously staged at the Minack Theatre and on national tour.
Emma Bovary is bored. She’s bored with her boring doctor husband, bored with her boring provincial village and bored with her role as a dutiful wife in (boring) nineteenth-century France. But Emma reads novels. Lots of novels. And in novels, life is much more fun… Now, watch four actors battle hilarious mishaps and misbehaving props to tell the (massively) tragic story of Madame Bovary. There will be vermin, visual absurdity, wild animals and a nun!
Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary was published in 1856, prosecuted for obscenity and hailed as the greatest novel ever written.
Producer Ben Kernow said, “We developed The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovaryamidst the stunning, sometimes sunny cliffs of Cornwall at the Minack Theatre, and are thrilled to be bringing the show to Southwark Playhouse Borough this Christmas season. It’s an anarchic, fast-paced, and lovingly derailed adaptation of Gustave Flaubert's classic novel; despite the inherently tragic nature of the source material, John Nicholson's adaptation brilliantly extrapolates every ounce of humor from it. It has been a joy to witness the connection people feel to the show on tour, and can’t wait to bring it to London.”
Teaser Trailer: The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary | 5 Dec - 11 Jan (youtube.com)
Cast; Stephen Cavanagh, Ben Kernow, Georgia Nicholson, Darren Seed
Listings information
5 Dec – 11 Jan
Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD
Running Time: 2hrs plus interval | Suitable for ages 12+
£28 Standard / £22.50 Concessions / Previews £16 / Pioneers' Preview (5 Dec) £10
Tickets: The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary - Southwark Playhouse