The Typhoid Marys

The historical material behind this play is hefty. The story is of the original "Typhoid Mary," Mary Mallon, the first healthy carrier of the disease, and the lives of 43 female typhoid carriers who were incarcerated in Long Grove Asylum in Surrey. Unfortunately the biographical and historical interest of the play is weighed down by a turgid script.

Writer and director Phil Tong has imparted his acting expertise to the likes of Kim Tiddy, former star of The Bill and Hollyoaks. It is to the detriment of the play that there are protracted emotional dialogues which have little benefit apart from giving the young actors a chance to practice the theatrical skills essential to these soaps. Regardless, many show considerable promise, particularly Maddie Dempsey (who plays the feisty Mallon).

There are also extended dance sequences; the girls wear suggestive white nighties and cavort—sometimes even writhe—about the stage, representing the ghosts of the young women who were forcibly sectioned by a government health act. This also allows for stretches of dialogue in “porsch” English and obvious gags about the feckless ruling class.

There’s a particularly uncomfortable moment when the young girls, upon being admitted to the asylum, are told to strip by the matron, and they do, to reveal the white nighties of the ghosts. Although a clever concept, it’s also a pervert’s dream. However, the girls' final testimonies and the details of their demise make for some very accomplished acting and go some way to rectifying the play’s shortcomings.