Based on Marguerite Duras' 1967 novella, L'amante Anglaise (The English Lover) is on the surface a murder mystery story, but
look a little deeper and it is an exploration of what happens to a person when
the life they are leading turns out to be the life they never wanted. Originally
performed at La Mama, this stage adaptation has been remounted for a second season at
fortyfivedownstairs. Having missed it first time round, I was very thankful I
managed to get to it now for it really is a breathtaking performance.
The story unfolds in two interviews conducted by nameless interrogators over the
brutal murder of a woman in a small town in France. The dismembered body is
discovered at a railway viaduct, missing her head. Furthermore, the novella is
based on true events, adding to the darkness and brutality to the proceedings.
