Mrs Warren's Profession Tickets

Mrs Warren’s Profession in London

Real-life mother-daughter duo Imelda Staunton and Bessie Carter star in Mrs Warren's Profession at the Garrick Theatre close to Leicester Square and Covent Garden. A brand new revival of George Bernard Shaw’s controversial play, about a Cambridge graduate who is shocked when she discovers her prim and proper mother is a brothel mistress, this “frank and provocative examination of the exploitative nature of society” (The Guardian) still has the power to shock today - don’t miss your chance to see it.

What is the play Mrs Warren’s Profession about?

Vivie Warren is a thoroughly modern young woman - educated, independent and unapologetically opinionated. After graduating with a Mathematics degree from Cambridge, Vivie rents a cottage in the countryside to consider seeking a suitor. When Mr Praed, a friend of her mother’s, approaches her, Vivie uses this as an opportunity to learn more about her enigmatic and somewhat estranged mother, Kitty - who comes to stay, along with a gentleman friend, Mr Crofts - hoping to also finally learn who her father is. Praed introduces Vivie to the handsome but impoverished vicar's son Frank Gardner, who begins courting her, but Kitty disapproves of his lack of income.

As the play unfolds, Vivie is shocked to at last uncover her mother’s past - in contrast to the wealthy upbringing Vivie has had, Kitty was born lower class and raised by a single mother; becoming a prostitute, and later a brothel madam, to survive. Vivie must reconcile how she feels about her mother’s ongoing work as a brothel mistress, and contend with both Frank and Mr Crofts as they vie for her hand. But there are yet more twists, turns and revelations to come, for all involved…

Mrs Warren’s Profession was written in 1893 and was highly controversial at the time. Initially banned by Britain's official theatre censor, Lord Chamberlain, for its frank depictions of prostitution, the play finally premiered in London in 1902 at a private members-only club, opening to the public in 1925. A "problem play" that depicts the economic realities that often drive women to sex work, Mrs Warren’s Profession is both a witty comic tale and a dramatic exploration of serious themes. It remains relevant to this day, asking questions about morality, corruption, male privilege, the hardships women face and the choices some people must make to survive.

Who are the cast and creatives of Mrs Warren’s Profession?

Full casting is to be announced, but this brand new production is keeping it in the family, with actual mother and daughter pairing Imelda Staunton and Bessie Carter playing Kitty and Vivie. Dame Imelda Staunton is a BAFTA and Olivier Award-winning, Tony and Emmy-nominated actor, whose previous roles include Vera Drake, Harry Potter, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd and Gypsy. Bessie Carter is best known for her role as Prudence Featherington on Netflix’s Bridgerton ; other credits include Howard’s End for BBC, All My Sons at the Old Vic and Dear Octopus at the National Theatre.

Staunton and Carter aren’t the first mother-daughter team to tackle the roles, with Caroline and Rose Quentin playing the Warrens in a 2022 touring production, produced by Theatre Royal Bath.

Mrs Warren’s Profession is directed by five-time Olivier Award-winning writer and director Dominic Cooke CBE, who has previously collaborated with Staunton on Follies at the National Theatre and Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium. Cooke’s previous credits include Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at the National Theatre, The Crucible at the RSC, Clybourne Park at the Royal Court/Wyndham's Theatre and the film adaptation of On Chesil Beach starring Saoirse Ronan. He is a National Theatre Associate Director, and the previous artistic director of the Royal Court Theatre.

George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) was a Nobel Prize-winning Irish playwright, critic and political activist, who wrote over sixty plays. He is best known for his major works Pygmalion (the inspiration behind musical My Fair Lady), Man and Superman and Saint Joan. His work is often highly political, and features social commentary and satire.

Book Tickets for Mrs Warren's Profession at the Garrick Theatre

Mrs Warren’s Profession remains as bold, moving and incendiary as ever. Don’t miss your chance to see this real-life mother-daughter duo take on Shaw’s controversial, powerful and witty drama, opening at the Garrick Theatre this spring - book today!