The Sugar Wife – Abbey Theatre – Review

13 June – 20 July 2024

Written by Elizabeth Kuti
Directed by Annabelle Comyn

Hannah (Siobhán Cullen) and Samuel Tewkley (Peter Gaynor) are a well-off married couple, living in Ballsbridge, Dublin in the 1850s. They are Quakers and live by a strict moral code, shunning the finer things in life. Hannah spends her time helping the poor in the Liberties, while Samuel focuses on his business. He imports tea and sugar while running several oriental teahouses around the city. The couple decide to allow two strangers into their home. These are African American woman Sarah Worth (Tierra Porter) and an English philanthropist/ photographer, Alfred Darby (Chris Walley). They are abolitionists and Sarah Worth is coming to Ireland to speak of her time as a slave in America. These two individuals cause ruptions in this otherwise calm household.

This play was first produced by Rough Magic back in 2005. The writer, Elizabeth Kuti, is now a professor at the University of Essex. She was born in England and graduated from Balliol College, Oxford. She moved to Ireland in 1993 to study at Trinity College Dublin where she completed her doctoral thesis.

This new production is directed by Annabelle Comyn and gives us a stripped-down view of the Tewkleys and their world. Set Designer Paul O’Mahony delivers a vision of a Quaker household with simple wooden tables and chairs. While it is not quite as lavish a set as in recent Abbey productions, it works well and puts the emphasis on the actors. Molly O’Cathain’s costumes do a lot of the work to fix the time and location of the piece.

In recent years, statues of the great and the good have been torn down as individuals are reappraised for their involvement in the slave trade. Even in Trinity College Dublin, the Berkeley Library has now been denamed. While this work was written 20 years ago, it points out these same issues. Despite their outward appearance of propriety, there are many contradictions in the Tewkley’s lives. These hypocrisies are pointed out by their guests which causes some heated moments.

The play indulges in a variety of flawed individuals. Siobhán Cullen plays Hannah Tewkley as an honest soul, desperately trying to stay on a righteous path. Peter Gaynor’s Samuel Tewkley is slightly more obvious about his failings, a man who cherry-picks aspects of his faith and hides much from his wife. Chris Walley’s Alfred Darby is a dangerous individual, a man who uses his strict moral code to point out the deficiencies of others.

The play deals with many issues such as slavery, colonial forces, religion, women’s liberation and more. In truth, the emphasis should have been placed on any one of these themes instead of trying to explore them all, but it does deliver a world of ideas and complexities. The play starts slowly, introducing the various characters but after the interval, some surprising events lead us in unexpected directions. It’s a play that will leave you with much to discuss with some sophisticated and well-drawn characters and ideas.

Credits
Hannah Tewkley: Siobhán Cullen
Martha Ryan: Síofra Ní Éilí
Samuel Tewkley: Peter Gaynor
Sarah Worth: Tierra Porter
Alfred Darby: Chris Walley

Writer: Elizabeth Kuti
Director: Annabelle Comyn
Set Designer: Paul O’Mahony
Costume Designer: Molly O’Cathain
Lighting Designer: Paul Keogan
Composer and Sound Designer: Philip Stewart
Movement Director: Sue Mythen
Hair and Make Up: Val Sherlock
Assistant Director: Esosa Ighodaro
Voice Director: Andrea Ainsworth
Casting Director: Deborah Pearce