Strindberg’s furious attack on the lethally rigid class system presents a challenge and a half to seasoned actors – and many have fallen by the way. How extraordinary, then, that a trio of novices should mark their professional stage debuts by giving us a riveting version of this Swedish classic at the London Theatre in New Cross. Shereener Browne as Miss Julie masterfully negotiated the difficult no-man’s-land between imperiousness and lust. Robert Eadon, as the valet she beds, captured his character’s glee and power-driven cruelty, although he needed a tad more humanity to explain his mistress’s obsession with him. And Selwaj Jghalef was terrific as the lovelorn cook whose resigned fatalism finally erupts into moral outrage at the lovers’ behaviour. Director Harry Denford has teased fine performances from his cast and I imagine we’ll see a lot more of all of them in the future.
