Review: THE PARTY GIRLS, Oxford Playhouse

Glamorous and mythic, the Mitford sisters often feel like untouchable figures of the past, central to the tumultuous politics of the interwar period and yet forgotten amidst the rollcall of far more significant names. They seem like the sorts of characters who would be impossible to bring to life, and yet Amy Rosenthal’s The Party Girls successfully brings these figures vividly into the sphere of the audience’s knowledge.

Currently showing at the Oxford Playhouse, The Party Girls tells the story of sisters Nancy, Diana, Jessica (Decca), Unity and Debo from their youth to old age. Rather than tell the whole story, Rosenthal has chosen distinct periods in these sisters’ lives, lingering over their political affiliations during the rise of Hitler, Jessica’s attempts to build herself a life in America away from the family name, and the sisters coming together in the 1960s due to Nancy’s declining health. These periods are interwoven, the play shying away from a traditional linear narrative, through presenting the audience with non-chronological snapshots of events.

Rosenthal’s writing does not shy away from the controversial politics of the sisters; defences of Hitler’s regime being performed by Ell Potter’s Unity with a sincerity that highlights the position of these figures. It is easy for the audience with a modern day perspective to condemn these characters for the roles that they played; however, they are written and performed with a compassion that allows the audience to engage and sympathise with them as people beyond their politics.

Director Richard Beecham successfully balances the piece perfectly on this knife’s edge, ensuring that the play never feels like it is judging its characters. There are also some wonderfully unexpected moments of humour woven through to ensure that this isn’t a play that lingers too long on serious topics. 

Each sister’s story is told, but it is Decca (Jessica) who claims the most amount of stage time. Emma Noakes’ Decca provides the perfect counter balance for the fascist beliefs of Diana and Unity, her communist tendencies driving her to seek out a different sort of life. Through the various settings, we are able to see the full range of the character, Noakes adapting perfectly to the school room of youth and the confusion of a budding romance in later years.

Throughout there is a wonderful sense of sisterly community. Whether the characters are friends or not at any particular time, does not detract from the love that is always present. Each sibling relationship is nuanced despite the size of the ensemble, with the chemistry between the cast being clear to see. 

As a backdrop to these vivid characters, Simon Kenny’s set is a wonderful collection of spaces, which roll on and off the stage behind a gauze, allowing the audience to see the set changes in a way that feels natural. These few, well designed, sets are a rare treat upon a stage where complex changes are not typically exhibited. The gauze used is also a perfect screen upon which to remind audiences of the location and date of the coming scene. This helps to keep track of the narrative given its non-linear nature; however, given the repeated sets, one feels that the highlighting of the location after the initial introduction of the setting does feel slightly unnecessary.

Playing close to home, the play is being performed to a packed house which is a true testament that Oxfordshire has not forgotten these larger than life sisters. Drawing us into the world they inhabited, this is a great snapshot of the British aristocracy during a particularly complicated time in the world’s political landscape.