During a midsummer night in the kitchen of an estate, two people play a game of cat-and-mouse. Julie, the headstrong young daughter of a count, feels trapped in the straightjacket of her origins and position. She likes to break conventions, especially when it comes to dealings between the upper and lower classes. Opposite her is Jean, the count's servant. He wants to move up. Silent witness in the game of attraction and repulsion between Julie and Jean is Christine, the cook and at the same time Jean's fiancée. What begins as a flirtation leads to a stalemate with no way out.

Young British star director Rebecca Frecknall creates a contemporary adaptation of August Strindberg's famous play.

REBECCA FRECKNALL ABOUT JULIE

‘I am endlessly fascinated by the power dynamics between men and women on stage and few plays explore these sexual and political undercurrents in more volatile and complex ways than Strindberg’s Miss Julie.

The three young characters ricochet and rebound between love and hate, desire and repulsion, reckless confidence and paralyzing fear across one night which changes each of their lives. The kitchen becomes a battleground, a bunker, a stage, a grave, a gymnasium which requires the actors to become emotional gymnasts and push the limits of their craft.

Written over 130 years ago and originally banned for its strong language and sexual content, this play still has the capacity to arrest, shock and provoke an audience. Julie explores just how far humans can push each other and exposes the destructive power we each harbour.’