Intimate Apparel review – Lynn Nottage's exquisitely stitched tale of a seamstress's dreams
Lynn Nottage's 2003 play explores what you hold close and who you are when your defences are down. In 1905 New York, Esther, a skilled Black corset-maker, creates ravishing undergarments in Wedgwood blue or salmon pink, trimmed with 'every manner of accoutrement'. Stitching romance for others, she fears she will never know her own – until George begins writing from Panama, where he is labouring on the canal.
Tucked into her modest, mouse-grey dress, Samira Wiley's Esther embroiders dreams with every letter. Despite forebodings from her landlady (Nicola Hughes, plush and beady), she insists: 'I am his sweetheart twice a month and I can fill that envelope with anything I want.' Kadiff Kirwan's melodious, greedy-eyed George arrives in New York and the first act ends on the edge of hope. Later, disappointment settles: intimacies fray, promises prove moth-eaten.
Foot on the treadle, eye on the lace, Esther knows her worth. Nottage writes so well about work: the painstaking immersion of time, thought and effort. The audience, fully invested in Esther's world, gasped when George tossed aside her tailoring: how callous to spurn a love-stitched jacket. Wiley's fragile frame can barely hold the hurt.
Esther's clients are unmarried, or yoked without love. Intimacy seems possible in your scanties: Faith Omole's sex worker and Claudia Jolly's wealthy wife tumble out confidences as she tweaks their corsets. Esther also visits a Jewish fabric salesman (Alex Waldmann, beautifully tentative), tenderly scanning swathes of kingfisher silk or wool spun from cosseted Scottish sheep. Restrictive garments play against unbounded imaginings.
Nottage's writing in the two-handed scenes is palpably lush ('a gentle touch is gold in any country'), but each line sharpens a character or sighs the tale forward. Working with movement director Shelley Maxwell, Lynette Linton's production becomes a dance, a poem: bodies swoop around one another, voices tangle in song, teasing out the sensuality these New Yorkers crave but must deny themselves.
The acting is incredibly fine: Linton's great gift is to see people from every angle. Nottage's play began when she found a photo of her seamstress great-grandmother and wanted to imagine her story. This tremendous production and Wiley's superb performance fill out a life unknown.
At Donmar Warehouse, London, until 9 August
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Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Jake Paul reveals the secrets behind his meteoric boxing rise as YouTuber plots Anthony Joshua showdown at Wembley from his $39MILLION ranch
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The Sun
31 minutes ago
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I'm a Disney expert who's visited 50 times – what to expect from their new Florida theme park from Fortnite to Frozen
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This is an entire theme park, which sits alongside Japan's other Disney park, Tokyo Disneyland, and is themed solely on Disney movies that have a water element. This would be ideal after the success of Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Finding Dora and Moana. Plus, Florida DisneySEA would be a totally unique addition to the existing Walt Disney World parks: Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. None of the existing parks have a specially-themed water area, so this would be a perfect addition. Plus, the plans include requests for an underground basement level. Could this be to build a lake and river that would need to be below ground, for visual effect and purification? Marvel Cinematic Universe Marvel is a hotly debated topic in the realm of Florida theme parks, with Disney's biggest rival in Orlando currently holding the rights to original comic book brands, such as Spider-man and Hulk in Florida. 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The Sun
36 minutes ago
- The Sun
Roy Keane meets Inter Miami superstars like Luis Suarez but fans reckon he ‘must be disappointed'
ROY Keane got to meet Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi not Lionel Messi while visiting Inter Miami's facility. The Corkman has jetted stateside to take in the knockout stages of the inaugural - and controversial - Club World Cup. 4 4 4 The MLS outfit have a daunting last-16 match-up ahead of them against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday. But at least Keane got to meet some of their most recognisable squad members while they're still in the competition and still in chipper form. Aside from a few followers noting he's bearing quite a resemblance to Mel Gibson these days thanks to his white beard, most of the comments connected to the Instagram post centred on one man who wasn't featured. Shane reckoned: "Must be disappointed to not meet Messi." While Curtis suggested: "Could use him against PSG keep them straight." Sean hailed: "The best Irish player of all time." And finally, someone else surmised en Espanol: "Roy livin la vida buena." Messi is set to face his former club in the knockout stages of the Club World Cup - and, like many reunions with old colleagues, it may not end well. Inter Miami - sixth in the MLS Eastern Conference - face a formidable challenge against the Ligue 1 giants. Luis Enrique's PSG began their campaign in style with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid. David Beckham in hospital as Victoria shares picture of star with arm in sling & sweet 'get well soon daddy' message However, they appeared to lose momentum in a surprise defeat to Brazilian side Botafogo, and looked far from their fluent best in a 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field. Now into the knockout rounds, PSG are expected to find another gear, with a potential quarter-final clash against either Flamengo or Bayern Munich looming. The bookmakers clearly agree, pricing the Parisian giants at 1/6 to win in 90 minutes, while Jordi Alba described PSG as 'the best team in the world right now'. As for Inter Miami, they came close to topping Group A but conceded two late goals against Palmeiras, setting up this tough tie. It would have been Botafogo otherwise. ABOUT TO GET MESSI? Still, they have shown they can compete at this level - sandwiching a win over Porto between draws against Palmeiras and Al Ahly. The Florida-based side are unbeaten in six matches across all competitions, scoring 16 goals in that stretch - a solid run of form but unlikely to trouble their imperious opponents. Sorry if it sounds disparaging to all those Inter Miami supporters out there - but this could easily be a cricket score providing PSG can snap out of their two-game malaise. And they should be able to. The European champions looked a completely different class during their Champions League success, and their 5-0 final win over Inter Milan only highlights their ability to humble even the best. Suarez and Messi, both aged 38, should have their work cut out against such a young, quick, powerful and dynamic PSG side. Inter Miami have also shipped a colossal 29 goals in their last 13 games in all competitions. PSG, meanwhile, have scored 3+ goals in five of their last seven games.
