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The Duchess Tickets

Trafalgar Theatre

Jodie Whittaker stars in Zinnie Harris’ radical new version of John Webster’s blood-soaked revenge tragedy, The Duchess of Malfi.

The Duchess Tickets On Sale Now

Jodie Whittaker returns to the West End for the first time in over a decade as a woman raging against patriarchy in The Duchess, a blazing new version of The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster. Zinnie Harris’ play, a “towering” (The Stage) adaptation of the Jacobean revenge tragedy, transfers to the West End’s Trafalgar Theatre for a strictly limited season and will leave audiences gripped until its final, haunting, moments. Book now to experience the timeless tale of lust, obsession and control reworked for the 21st century.

About The Duchess

The Duchess is a widow with three powerful assets: money, sexual liberation and youth. She can make her own decisions… and that’s a problem. Unsettled by her sudden freedom and incensed by her secret second marriage to a man beneath her class, her brothers Ferdinand and the Cardinal decide to clip her wings. They enact a series of cruel and twisted punishments against her, but will their furies return to haunt them?

Forbidden love, twisted secrets and bloody vengeance from unlikely sources make John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi one of the most compelling Jacobean tragedies. In Zinnie Harris’ defiant and confrontational rewrite, the Duchess steps into the modern world.

Jodie Whittaker in The Duchess

Jodie Whittaker stars as the Duchess, taking on the iconic role in her first London theatre appearance since 2012. Whittaker is best known for her award-nominated performance in Broadchurch and as the Thirteenth Doctor in Doctor Who.

On stage, her credits include Antigone at the National Theatre and A Gaggle of Saints at Trafalgar Studios.

The Blazing Tragedy, Reimagined

Whittaker plays the lead role in Zinnie Harris’ acclaimed reworking of The Duchess of Malfi, which premiered at Royal Lyceum Edinburgh in 2019. Webster’s 17th-century tragedy is one of the most well-known plays of the period and still has the power to disturb, disgust and delight audiences hundreds of years later.

Harris’ “excoriating” (The Telegraph) adaptation - which she also directs - cements her reputation as one of Scotland and the UK’s best modern tragedy writers, following her adaptation of Oresteia, This Restless House, in 2016. Linking the devastation of misogyny and unchecked male power across the centuries, this is a gripping story that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

Don’t Miss Tickets for The Duchess at Trafalgar Theatre

Don’t miss your chance to see this haunting tragedy refreshed for the contemporary world with The Duchess tickets. With its incredible lead role performed by the endlessly watchable Jodie Whittaker, this striking story gives its clarion call in London for a limited time only.

Sorry this show closed 20 December 2024, we recommend these similar productions.

Fawlty Towers
Oedipus
Oedipus
Performance dates:
19 Dec 2024 - 20 Dec 2024
Running time:
2 hours and 30 minutes including an interval.
Age recommendation:
Best for age 12+
Audience Notes:
Please note that the appearance of any performer cannot be guaranteed, and is always subject to illness, injury and statutory holiday entitlement.

Jodie Whittaker is not performing on 18 and 19 October 2024.

The Duchess Reviews

3.6
154 Reviews
  • 5 Stars27%
  • 4 Stars29%
  • 3 Stars26%
  • 2 Stars14%
  • 1 Stars4%

User Reviews

Verified

I enjoyed this play, although not the best I've seen in the West End. Jodie Whittaker is the titular Duchess and does a great job going from the confident, carefree widower to the tortured and imprisoned captive of her dastardly brothers. There's a Read more

Performance date: 21 November 2024
Verified

The first half had me laughing every 5 minutes. It was comical and musical. Definitely consider the age restriction before attending! The second half was gruesome and the effects were great. Trigger warnings with loud sounds, blood, death and torture Read more

Performance date: 19 December 2024
Verified

Engrossing performances.

Performance date: 05 December 2024
1/52
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