When we look at the lives of famous figures, we often look at their contributions to history rather than the perhaps difficult lives they experience.
Eleanor Marx is remembered as the daughter of Karl Marx and a revolutionary activist in her own right. But she was also someone who loved the literature of Shakespeare and suffered abuse at the hands of the man she loved.
Agnes Perry-Robinson shines a thoughtful, sometimes playful light on the personal life of Eleanor, occasionally referred to as Tussy by close friends.
We meet the young Eleanor (Arlene McKay), enthusiastic about the plays of Shakespeare with her childhood friend Dollie Radford (Eleanor Greig). Laughing, Eleanor claims to be the witty and assertive Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing.
In subsequent scenes, Edward Aveling (Columbus Mason) appears as her awkward partner. One evening round at a friend's home, no sooner have they completed a game of charades than Aveling, looking annoyed because someone mildly corrected some reference he made, decides he has a headache and they must leave. Disappointed, Eleanor leaves with him.
Although her friends think she should break free of him, she doesn't, despite him having other relationships and always borrowing money. He even tells her he “needed your money to leave you”. In a harrowing scene, he forces a kiss on her before knocking her to the ground.
This is a clear, well-performed, fluent production with swift effective scene changes and is a fine if sad tribute to someone who helped to make the world a better place.