Laura Jones

Susan Sarandon, in her UK stage debut, plays the elder Mary at ages 59, 63 and 69. Her performance is brilliantly still and magnetic – she conveys the physical weariness of age but also an internal steadiness. It is an excellent portrayal of a woman who has lived through so much, carrying the weight of her experiences in the set of her shoulders.

Michael Grandage’s production allows Wilton to showcase her impeccable comedic style and she delivers her lines with precision and wit. Each joke lands with the audience and she brilliantly humanises the Queen Mother. Wilton and Evans are a delightful duo, bouncing off each other effortlessly.

In previous incarnations, Jud (Patrick Vaill) is depicted as a menacing, dangerous man, and while he is still that, this Jud offers a deeper insight into the character. He's more vulnerable and, for possibly the first time, you feel some sort of sympathy for him. Vaill, who has been with Fish's production since its conception, portrays him as a misunderstood outsider, constantly battling his inner demons which makes the ending all the more devastating.