DANGEROUS LADY @ THEATRE ROYAL STRATFORD EAST

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Martina Cole’s Dangerous Lady, the international bestseller is adapted for the Theatre Royal stage…

After a whirlwind of a love affair leaves her questioning whether life will be the same again, Maura Ryan finds herself swept into the notorious lifestyle of her gangland family. Having never read the book, I have to say that I found Patrick Prior’s stage adaptation a fantastic piece to watch. Claire-Louise Cordwell’s portrayal of Maura was strong and sharp yet vulnerable at the same time.

As an audience member, you watched on as the naïve 17 year old matured into a no nonsense businesswoman, truly showing her versatility. The family dynamic between her, and her two elder brothers, the witty and domineering Michael (James Clyde) and Terry (Paul Woodson), the eldest yet submissive in character, made for an interesting watch as the constant power struggle was evident between all three siblings. I felt that the strong cast really helped to illuminate the revolving stage, as the drama would seamlessly interweave from one scene to the next. Dangerous Lady for me was a great watch, and I look forward to watching a lot more of Martina Cole’s adaptations, so I give it a 4/5.

Dangerous Lady
Written by Martina Cole
Directed by Lisa Goldman

Written by Theatrefullstop