Top Girls

Marlene holds a London dinner party to celebrate her recent promotion to managing director of 'Top Girls' employment agency. Her guests include five historical figures: Isabella Bird (1831- 1904), a daring explorer; Lady Nijo (b1258), a courtesan turned Buddhist nun who journeyed through Japan on foot; Dull Gret, also known as Dulle Griet in a Bruegel painting, who led a group of women on a charge through hell; Pope Joan, the early female pope who cross-dressed; and Patient Griselda, a submissive wife from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Throughout the evening, we are captivated by the tales of all five women and the mounting crisis in Marlene's own life. Churchill's acclaimed play is a milestone for a new era of playwrights and was first performed by the Royal Court in 1982. "Top Girls is a perfect blend of directness and intricacy that keeps you both emotionally and intellectually