Intimate Apparel
16 July 2025
Donmar Warehouse
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Intimate Apparel, currently running at the Donmar Warehouse until 9th August. The story, based on playwright Lynn Nottage’s great-grandmother’s lived experience, revolves around Esther, a Black seamstress in 1905 New York who has worked all her adult life sewing lingerie for women in her room in a women’s boarding house, saving up money to one day open a Black beauty parlour. She has put a good amount of money aside in her quilt, but yearns for love. As other occupants of the boarding house get married and move out, she pours all her attention into her work. Esther’s clients appreciate her skill and discretion, opening up about their lives while they’re fitted for corsets and try on frilly lingerie, building familiarity and friendship. When she is not working, she visits Jewish fabric seller Mr. Marks, who always keeps the most exquisite fabrics for her, revelling in her appreciation of craftsmanship and textile art. But when Esther begins receiving letters from a stranger, her life spins in a different direction.
Samira Wiley really shines as shy but determined Esther, beautifully embodying a woman torn between accepting her station and yearning for more. There’s a delicate balance between Esther’s ambitions and her acceptance of her status in the world, and Wiley perfectly tiptoes the line, making a well rounded woman come to life on the stage.
Supported by Claudia Jolly playing a desperate wife of an inattentive but rich husband, and Faith Omole taking on the role of an upbeat, charming sex worker, women supporting women is a repeating theme, while the vast difference in their positions in the world is explored alongside the main story. Alex Waldman plays an extremely charming Mr. Marks, held back by tradition and societal expectation he says so much with elongated silences and miniscule gestures, it’s entrancing to watch, while Kadiff Kirwan brings a less charming man to life on stage, exploring the duplicity of a deceptive hustler trying to keep up appearances. All while Nicola Hughes embodies the boarding house’s landlady, always on hand with advice and a helping hand, while letting Esther make her own decisions without judgement. It’s an incredibly strong cast working to bring the story of Esther to life.
The beauty of this production lies in its slowness, really allowing the characters to breathe and come into their own, unrushed and gently developing. Small gestures and pauses bring so much personality to this story and its characters, letting the cast shine individually and together.
Intimate Apparel is a gorgeously heartbreaking story told by a wonderful cast, enveloping the audience in the charm and distress of a turn of the century life that still feels too relevant today.
