Ben Harrison's production of A Chaste Maid in Cheapside takes us on a raucous tour through the lusts and lives of a diverse collection of city dwellers doing their best to survive the privations of Lent in 17th Century London. Thomas Middleton's words are given bawdy life by an excellent cast who draw every ounce of innuendo from a script that overflows with lewd suggestion.

The tale is that of a daughter given in marriage to an older, nobler man who sees her as no more than a "forty-pound virgin" and the key to his inheritance. We also meet her lover, set in competition against this libidinous lord, and the younger brother of an early 'sperm donor' who discovers that his talent for fertilisation may hold the key to his fortune.

Impressive use is made of a striking set, artfully lit by Natasha Chivers, fashioned to provide our scene with a timeless quality through which the central themes of the story play well. Lust, avarice and self-indulgence fuel the antics of the MAFF-apparelled 'promoters', as much as the lewd conduct of the machiavellian Sir Walter Whorehound.

The performance suffers only from a lack of pace in the first half, but accelerates superbly in the latter to bring us to a resurgent conclusion.
This is solid, sparkling theatre, with a story that may not appeal to all, but whose dramatic qualities are sure to delight. You would go far to find a
better staging of Middleton than this. Go sate yourself.

James Dare, 20.03.02