''Mrs. Warren's Profession'' is a
play
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
Computers and technology
* Google Play, a digital content service
* Play Framework, a Java framework
* P ...
written by
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...
in 1893, and first performed in London in 1902. It is one of the three plays Shaw published as ''Plays Unpleasant'' in 1898, alongside ''
The Philanderer'' and ''
Widowers' Houses''. The play is about a former
prostitute
Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-pe ...
, now a madam (
brothel
A brothel, strumpet house, bordello, bawdy house, ranch, house of ill repute, house of ill fame, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in Human sexual activity, sexual activity with prostitutes. For legal or cultural reasons, establis ...
proprietor), who attempts to come to terms with her disapproving daughter. It is a
problem play, offering social commentary to illustrate the idea that the act of prostitution was not caused by moral failure but by economic necessity. Elements of the play were borrowed from Shaw's 1882 novel ''
Cashel Byron's Profession'', about a man who becomes a boxer due to limited employment opportunities.
Summary
The story centres on the relationship between Mrs Kitty Warren and her daughter, Vivie. Mrs. Warren, a former prostitute and current
brothel
A brothel, strumpet house, bordello, bawdy house, ranch, house of ill repute, house of ill fame, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in Human sexual activity, sexual activity with prostitutes. For legal or cultural reasons, establis ...
owner, is described as "on the whole, a genial and fairly presentable old
blackguard of a woman." Vivie, an intelligent and pragmatic young woman who has just graduated from university, has come home to get acquainted with her mother for the first time in her life. The play focuses on how their relationship changes when Vivie learns what her mother does for a living. It explains why Mrs. Warren became a prostitute, condemns the hypocrisies relating to prostitution, and criticises the limited employment opportunities available for women in
Victorian Britain.
Plot
Vivie Warren, a thoroughly modern young woman, has just graduated from the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
with honours in Mathematics (equal Third
Wrangler), and is available for suitors. Her mother, Mrs. Warren (her name changed to hide her identity and give the impression that she is married), arranges for her to meet her friend Mr. Praed, a middle-aged, handsome architect, at the home where Vivie is staying. Mrs. Warren arrives with her business partner, Sir George Crofts, who is attracted to Vivie despite their 25-year age difference. Vivie is romantically involved with the youthful Frank Gardner, who sees her as his meal ticket. His father, the (married) Reverend Samuel Gardner, has a history with Vivie's mother. As we discover later, he may be Vivie's out-of-wedlock father, which would make Vivie and Frank half-siblings. Mrs. Warren successfully justifies to her daughter how she chose her particular profession in order to support her daughter and give her the opportunities she never had. She saved enough money to buy into the business with her sister, and she now owns (with Sir George) a chain of brothels across Europe. Vivie is, at first, horrified by the revelation, but then lauds her mother as a champion. However, the reconciliation ends when Vivie finds out that her mother continues to run the business even though she no longer needs to. Vivie takes an office job in the city and dumps Frank, vowing she will never marry. She disowns her mother, and Mrs. Warren is left heartbroken, having looked forward to growing old with her daughter.
Origins
Shaw said he wrote the play "to draw attention to the truth that prostitution is caused, not by female depravity and male licentiousness, but simply by underpaying, undervaluing and overworking women so shamefully that the poorest of them are forced to resort to prostitution to keep body and soul together." Shaw "addresses a social problem, organized prostitution, and dramatizes it through the character Vivie Warren."
He explained the source of the play in a letter to the ''
Daily Chronicle'' on 28 April 1898:
Miss Janet Achurch n actress and friend of Shaw’smentioned to me a novel by some French writer 'Yvette'' by Guy de Maupassant">Guy_de_Maupassant.html" ;"title="'Yvette'' by Guy de Maupassant">'Yvette'' by Guy de Maupassantas having a dramatisable story in it. It being hopeless to get me to read anything, she told me the story... In the following autumn I was the guest of a lady (Beatrice Webb) of very distinguished ability—one whose knowledge of English social types is as remarkable as her command of industrial and political questions. She suggested that I should put on the stage a real modern lady of the governing class—not the sort of thing that theatrical and critical authorities imagine such a lady to be. I did so; and the result was Miss Vivie Warren ... Mrs. Warren herself was my version of the heroine of the romance narrated by Miss Achurch. The tremendously effective scene—which a baby could write if its sight were normal—in which she justifies herself, is only a paraphrase of a scene in a novel of my own, '' Cashel Byron's Profession'' (hence the title, ''Mrs Warren's Profession''), in which a prize-fighter shows how he was driven into the ring exactly as Mrs. Warren was driven on the streets.
Performance history

The play was originally banned by the
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Monarchy of the United Ki ...
(
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales
* The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
's official theatre
censor) because of its frank discussion of
prostitution
Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, no ...
, but was finally performed on Sunday, 5 January 1902, at
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
's New Lyric Club with the distinguished actor-manager
Harley Granville-Barker as Frank,
Fanny Brough as Mrs. Warren, George Goodhart as Sir George Crofts, Julius Knight as Praed, Madge McIntosh as Vivie and
Cosmo Stuart as the Rev. Samuel Gardner. Members-only clubs had been a device to avoid the eye of authority, but actors often also used the opportunity to invite their fellow-artists to a private showing of a play, usually on Sundays, when theatres were closed to the public. The first public performance in London took place in 1925.
A 1905 performance in
New York, this time on a public stage, was interrupted by the
police
The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
, who arrested the cast and crew for violating New York City's version of the
Comstock laws
The Comstock Act of 1873 is a series of current provisions in federal law that generally criminalize the involvement of the United States Postal Service, its officers, or a common carrier in conveying obscene matter, crime-inciting matter, or c ...
. It was later held not to be in violation of the law, and has been revived on Broadway five times since. In December 1918 the play was produced in Perth, Australia by the actor manager Alan Wilkie and featured a friend and protégé of Shaw, Frediswyde Hunter-Watts, as Vivie Warren.
The play has been twice revived by the National Theatre, first in 1970–71 at the Old Vic, directed by Ronald Eyre, with Coral Browne and Sarah Badel, and more recently at the Lyttelton Theatre in 1985–86, directed by Anthony Page, with Joan Plowright and Jessica Turner as Mrs Warren and Vivie.
The 1976 Broadway revival featured
Ruth Gordon as Kitty,
Lynn Redgrave as Vivie,
Philip Bosco as Sir George Crofts and
Edward Herrmann as Frank Gardner.
Tony Awards
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...
nominations went to Redgrave for "Best Actress in a Play" and Herrmann for "Best Featured Actor in a Play". Herrmann won a Tony.
The
Shaw Festival
The Shaw Festival is a Charitable organization, Charitable theatre festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. It is the second largest repertory theatre company in North America, second only to Canada's Strat ...
at
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a town in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Niagara Peninsula at the point where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, across the river from New York (state), New York, United States. Niagara-on-the-Lake is in the R ...
has mounted the play five times since the Festival's inception in 1962: 1976, 1990, 1997, 2008, and 2016
In 2006, it was revived off-broadway by
The Irish Repertory Theatre, with
Dana Ivey
Dana Ivey (born August 12, 1941) is an American retired actress. She is a five-time Tony Award nominee for her work on Broadway, and won the 1997 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her work in both ''Sex and Longi ...
as Mrs. Warren, Laura Odeh as Vivie Warren, and
David Staller as Mr. Praed.
The play was revived in 2010 in three separate venues:
* London's West End, at the
Comedy Theatre with
Felicity Kendal
Felicity Ann Kendal (born 25 September 1946) is an English actress, working principally in television and theatre. She has appeared in numerous stage and screen roles over a more than 70-year career, including as Barbara Good in the television ...
in the title role
*
Washington, by the
Shakespeare Theatre Company
The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a Regional theater in the United States, regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the William Shakespeare, Shakespeare canon, but its seasons inc ...
at
Sidney Harman Hall, with
Elizabeth Ashley in the title role
*
Broadway at the
American Airlines Theatre under the auspices of the
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a nonprofit organization, non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres.
History
The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fr ...
, with
Cherry Jones as Kitty Warren and
Sally Hawkins
Sally Cecilia Hawkins (born 27 April 1976) is an English actress of stage and screen. She began her career on stage and then moved into film, for which she has received several accolades including a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominatio ...
as Vivie
It was performed by the
Sydney Theatre Company
Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in the Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Theatre ...
in 2012, and was so popular that the season was extended.
In 2016 the play was performed at the Center Theatre in Seattle.
In 2018, Eleanor Bishop's adaptation of the play was performed at the
ASB Waterfront Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand by the Auckland Theatre Company.
In 2021, the play ran off-Broadway at Theatre Row, produced by Gingold Theatrical Group.
In 2022, the play was performed at the Chichester Festival Theatre with
Caroline Quentin as Mrs Warren and her real life daughter, Rose Quentin, as Vivie. The play ran from November 30 to December 3, before going on tour in 2023 to venues including the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford and the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham.
In 2024 SHAW2020 Theatre Company toured their production of ''Mrs Warren's Profession''. The tour visited the playwrights home
Shaw's Corner
Shaw's Corner was the primary residence of the renowned Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw; it is now a National Trust property open to the public as a writer's house museum. Inside the house, the rooms remain much as Shaw left them, and the ...
In 2025, the
Garrick Theatre in London staged a production starring
Imelda Staunton
Dame Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre pr ...
as Mrs. Warren and her real-life daughter
Bessie Carter as Vivie.
Sequel
Sir
Harry Johnston wrote a sequel, a novel entitled ''Mrs. Warren's Daughter'', circa 1920.
Adaptations
A 1960 German film adaption, ''
Mrs. Warren's Profession'', starred
Lilli Palmer.
BBC Television produced a television version first broadcast on 3 October 1972 on
BBC2
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...
under the 'Stage 2' drama strand. Produced by
Cedric Messina
Cedric Messina (14 December 1920 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa — 30 April 1993 in London) was a South-African born British television producer and director who worked for the BBC and is best remembered for his involvement in television pro ...
and directed by
Herbert Wise, it starred
Coral Browne in the title role, with
Penelope Wilton as Vivie. Also in the cast were
James Grout,
Robert Powell
Robert Thomas Powell ( ; born 1 June 1944) is an English actor who is known for the title roles in '' Mahler'' (1974) and '' Jesus of Nazareth'' (1977), and for his portrayal of secret agent Richard Hannay in '' The Thirty Nine Steps'' (1978) ...
,
Richard Pearson and
Derek Godfrey. Under the ''
Play of the Month
''Play of the Month'' is a BBC television anthology series, which ran from 1965 to 1983 featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays (or adaptations) which were usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different wor ...
'' strand, the production was repeated on
BBC1
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...
on 21 April 1974. The production was released on DVD in 2006.
A radio adaptation was broadcast on the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
in 2002, and re-broadcast in January 2009 on
BBC Radio 7, starring
Maggie Steed in the title role.
Armen Pandola's ''Mrs.Warren's e-Profession'' transforms the story by bringing it into modern times. Mrs. Warren grows rich from her online porn and dating sites while her sheltered daughter recoils from the knowledge that her privileged life is based on the exploitation of women.
Vivie's character and the changing role of women
Men who could afford to get married in the Victorian era could make use of “laws that gave him total control of his wife's person—and her fortune”. Victorian women were expected to maintain a poised and dignified manner, and to obey their husbands. Vivie defies the Victorian expectations of an obedient woman: she is educated and entirely self-sufficient. She rejects two marriage proposals, reflecting her reliance on her work ethic and hard-headed approach to life. Shaw represents Vivie as the product of a type of gender reformation: a character who is asexual and "permanently unromantic".
Throughout the play, the boundary between sexual desires and proposed marriages is blurred. Frank flirts with both Mrs. Warren and Vivie; Mrs. Warren's companion Sir George Crofts proposes marriage to Vivie despite his relationship with her mother. Critic Petra Dierkes-Thrun argues that these examples illustrate the way in which Shaw "critiqued the ideological and economic system that produced her
rs. Warren attacking the problematic double standard of
male privilege
Male privilege is the system of advantages or rights that are available to men on the basis of their sex. A man's access to these benefits may vary depending on how closely they match their society's ideal masculine norm.
Academic studies ...
and the deeply entrenched objectification of women, which Shaw saw pervading all levels of Victorian society down to its most basic nuclear element, the family."
Dierkes-Thrun, Petra
''English Literature in Transition, 1880–1920'', Volume 49, Number 3, 2006, pp. 293–310 (Article)
References
External links
*
*
*
''Mrs. Warren's Profession''
on Open Library at the Internet Archive
*
*
{{New Woman (late 19th century)
1894 plays
Plays about British prostitution
Plays by George Bernard Shaw
Censored plays