The Duchess Tickets

In The Duchess, Doctor Who and Broadchurch star, Jodie Whittaker, returns to the stage for the first time in over a decade. Book The Duchess tickets on London Theatre.

The Duchess in London tells the story of a recently widowed Duchess (played by Whittaker) seeking autonomy. As she says, "I am utterly and always myself." She wears colorful clothing, styles her hair how she wants, and sings at parties, even in the face of her patriarchal brother's disapproval. When she chooses to marry below her social class, her brothers eventually find out they seek to punish her. But will their punishments have consequences? This play is a tale of resistance, of a woman seeking to be herself and not be defined as a victim.

As Whittaker said of the role, “Being able to portray the Duchess's tragic and captivating story on stage every night is a true honour."

The show is based on The Duchess of Malfi, a Jacobean tragedy written by John Webster in 1612–1613. Webster's play was partly based on the life of Giovanna d'Aragona, the sixteenth-century Duchess of Amalfi. The play has since been adapted numerous times, including for opera, television, radio, and film.

This adaptation is by multi-award-winning playwright Zinnie Harris (This Restless House, Macbeth (an undoing)). Harris, known for her feminist adaptations of classic plays, is also the director staging the show.

The Duchess is a play that premiered in 2019 at the Royal Lyceum Theatre. The show has been met with acclaim from audiences and critics. The Stage's 4-star review called the play "Slick and streamlined, a towering adaptation."

As the show prepared to open in 2019, Harris said, "In this #MeToo age of feminist uprising in the face of toxic masculinity, now feels like the perfect time to revisit this incredible, brutal story of female determination in the face of patriarchal power."