Review – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at the Festival Theatre, Malvern, from Monday, July 7 to Saturday, July 12, 2014.

ARGUABLY, and it’s probably the right word considering the theme of Edward Albee’s brilliant play, this is the best thing to hit the Festival stage this year.

It’s a bitter-sweet black comedy about relationships that is certainly not intended for the faint-hearted, and although it’s a bit of a marathon at three and a quarter hours Tim Pigott-Smith and Clare Higgins saw us through the punishing pace with exceptional performances.

Higgins is bang on the button in her raft of emotions – floozy, frump or frazzled drunk, and the raw, throaty delivery of her one line retorts are an absolute delight.

They are George and Martha – a couple whose marriage has obviously not been made in heaven.

It’s 1961 and they live in a campus apartment at a small college in New England, the sparring area for Martha, daughter of the college president, and George, who is way down the pecking order in its history department. It’s a point scornfully pressed home as often as the alcohol which gives the impression it has come off a production line.

Following a faculty party they’ve invited a young couple - a new biology teacher and his wife - around round for further late-night, or rather early morning, drinks... and then the action really kicks off!

It’s gloves off as they verbally lay into each other in front of their initially shocked visitors, but before long the mind games and manipulation which appears to provide them with a perverse thrill – as well as the drinks - draws the other couple into the ring as they too become part of the big game with their own problems.

Having cruelly ‘got the guests’ George, at one point, says: ‘OK, we’ve played embarrass the host. What do you two want to play next?”

Albee’s script is superb and under Adrian Noble’s direction everyone acts their socks off with Nathan Wiley (Nick) and Iris Roberts (Honey) providing splendid support.

George and Martha’s marriage may be desperate – and at the heart of all their machinations there is a sad secret – but this is also a genuinely amusing play that is also equally moving.

Wordy and lengthy it is but it holds your attention throughout. What a pity then that the opening night audience barely half-filled the auditorium for a production that definitely deserves greater support.

Those that were missing should be aware they missed out on a theatrical treat!