The Deep Blue Sea
15 May 2025
Theatre Royal Haymarket
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
I will take any chance to see Tamsin Greig on stage, so a trip to The Deep Blue Sea at the Theatre Royal Haymarket was an essential one to book. The play still runs until the 21st of June, so you still have a chance to book your spot!
Set in the 1950s, the play revolves around Hester Collyer, the daughter of a clergyman and wife of a judge, has left her comfortable life for a whirlwind affair with pilot Freddie Page, who is overwhelmed with the strength of Hester’s love and his inability to reciprocate in kind. She’s left to feel alone in a relationship that does not fulfil her, pursued by her husband who would happily take her back, frustrated with Freddie’s lack of attention. When you’re stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea, the deep blue sea can sometimes look very inviting.
The play is entirely staged in the small room Hester and Freddie are renting, a run down tenement flat with a light tinge of deep blue throughout. It is sparsely furnished and the only pops of colour are Hester’s paintings on the wall. It’s a beautiful and utilitarian stage design that sets the mood of the play incredibly well, giving a confined fish-bowl feel to Hester’s life while other wander in and out of her space.
Unravelling the plot slowly at first, the pacing is a tad sluggish for the first few moments, but picks up well once more characters are introduced and Hester’s history and current situation become more clear. The play is beautifully acted, with vivid characters that feel well rounded and in control of their own actions while floating through the narrative.
What stood out the most to me was the full agency that Hester was given, especially for a play written in 1952, with a woman who left her husband for her lover and is unhappy with the deteriorating relationship still being in full control of her choices. Not meek or submissive, but fully leaning into her choices despite their devastating consequences. Seeing Greig in the role surely helped along as well, though it’s simply a well written and very compelling story of love and loss and sacrifice that puts a woman at the front of all the action.
