“An upstairs downstairs world turned upside down”

Diana of Dobson’s

Friday 29 April–Saturday 14 May 2016

a New Vic Theatre production

By Cicely Hamilton
Directed by Abbey Wright

A ‘lost treasure’ of Edwardian theatre mixing stylish comedy with social commentary in a rags-to-riches story set in the unseen world of overworked, underpaid ‘shop-girls’.

Diana works at Dobson’s Drapery Emporium. Out of the blue, her upstairs downstairs world is turned upside down when she inherits enough money to free her from a lifetime of drudgery. But she impulsively decides to spend the lot on a madcap, month-long taste of the high-life.

Posing as a wealthy widow in a luxurious Swiss hotel, she’s eagerly pursued by the charming Captain Bretherton. But is he attracted to her or to her supposed wealth? And how will the world react when the money runs out and she is revealed as a working woman, not a woman of means?

Friday 29 April–Saturday 14 May 2016

Photo Gallery

Image by Andrew Billington

Reviews

Star Star Star Star

"admirable lightness of touch..."

Alfred Hickling, The Guardian
Star Star Star Star

"an Edwardian gem that speaks as loudly as ever..."

Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph
Star Star Star

"still resonant..."

Neil Bonner, The Stage

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