Mother Courage and Her Children

Mother Courage is the mother of all parts for a woman. Bertolt Brecht's epic is driven by her determination to make a living out of the Thirty Years War by hawking her merchandise round the battlefields. While others flee the fighting, Courage stubbornly seeks it out and fails to protect her children. War would have been on Brecht's mind as he sat writing in exile in 1939 and it's no surprise that Tony Kushner's robust, often windy 2006 translation is very aware of the wars today.

Fiona Shaw, who plays the wily old trader, is always on the move trying to protect both business and offspring. Ever mercurial, she is more of a jittery gypsy than peasant, with a strong dash of rock queen. It's a relief when she stands still, especially when her extraordinary face registers that she has haggled too long for the life of her son. When she swings to the funky but inappropriate songs, she never really convinces as a woman attempting to profit from war. It doesn't help that the composer and performer Duke Special looks like Boy George and often wanders into the action.

The level of noise as the audience walks into the auditorium is an early indication, in case anyone had any doubts, that this is not going to be a comfortable evening. White lights and white screens dazzle the eyes as cast and stage management mingle on stage. Gore Vidal's gravelly voice introduces each scene. Deborah Warner's production rethinks the play for our times but is crucially lacking in focus. It's a sure sign that all is not right when the actors shout to make themselves heard.