Review: The Herbal Bed

Susannah Hall: eldest daughter of William Shakespeare; an intelligent, spirited young woman. Married to Dr John Hall, a respected practitioner and upstanding citizen of Stratford-Upon-Avon. Dr Hall is renowned for his talent in preparing unguents for all sorts of disease, made from the herbs in his own garden. So far, so good. Very respectable.

Susannah successfully won a slander case against a disgruntled ex-apprentice of Dr Hall’s, Jack Lane, who had publicly accused her of adultery with Rafe Smith, a family friend. In Jacobean England such a charge could result in death if proven. But just how innocent was Susannah? OK, getting interesting …

Meanwhile, Susannah battles to determine what illness afflicts her famous father. Could Daddy have contracted “the running of the reynes” (aka gonorrhoea) after too many episodes of philandering?

Peter Whelan drew on scant historical details to flesh out Susannah and elaborate on the events leading up to and including the trial. New Theatre’s production of The Herbal Bed, directed by recent NIDA graduate and new Affiliate Director at Griffin Theatre, Sarah Giles, brings Susannah’s story to life in innovative and compelling style.

New Theatre’s ethos of supporting local artists through collaboration with professional theatre workers, and providing an outlet for new Australian writing as well as alternative productions, is admirable. Unfortunately, the night I attended, the audience was small. The Herbal Bed really does deserve support, as it is not only an intriguing study in desire, deception, faith and morality, but also a very well acted, intelligent production.

The entire cast remain on the periphery of the stage throughout, seated at strategic vantage points or hovering just beyond an invisible boundary. What could be an irritating distraction actually works very well in providing additional layers to personalities, as flitting one’s eyes to an ‘absent’ character during onstage interactions gave some great insights into their emotions. Shakespeare himself is an absent character, talked of but never seen.

The clever integration of lighting, music and minimalist set works well with the staging and movement of the players. Renee Mulder’s set and costume design are spot on — and the flash of scarlet in the outfits was inspired.

Fiona Pepper as Susannah is spirited, flawed and Machiavellian. She is a fascinating yet somehow remote character. Rick Cosnett is a wonderful foil to Pepper, playing the lustful patrician Jack Lane with dangerous intensity. Jamie Irvine’s Rafe Smith is a terrific study in restrained desire. In fact, an entirely strong cast do justice to Whelan’s text.

The Herbal Bed is long, but the themes raised within it are worthy of the exploration they receive. They are as relevant today as they would have been in Susannah’s time. How one justifies one’s actions, determines right from wrong, and in the end lives with one’s decisions, are enduring issues.

As her Dad would have said (Hamlet: II.2): “…there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

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