Robert Tanitch reviews The Mistress Contract at Royal Court Theatre, London SW1
What do women want? What do men want? Abi Mogan’s two-hander discourse is based on a memoir, The Mistress Contract by She and He, which was based on tape recordings they had made between 1981 and 2010.
She is a highly educated long-time feminist. He is a wealthy businessman. They live in separate houses on the west coast of America. They turn their lives into a sexual experiment and have a long-time affair.
She wants and insists on a contract which will allow them both complete freedom. She is not interested in either marriage or fidelity. “When I am with you I am yours and when I am not, I can be with whoever I want to be.” They have both been married and had children and don’t want to go through all that again.
“I consider myself equal to you,” she says, “but in sex we’re just not equal.” She offers to be his mistress whenever he wants in return for a house and payment for her services. She will provide “all sexual acts as requested with suspension of historical, emotional, psychological disclaimers.”
Tanitch at the Theatre
He and She have no names. They remain anonymous. All we know is that She is now 88 and He is now 93 and their relationship is still going strong. Saskia Reeves and Danny Webb play the couple. Vicky Featherstone directs.
The Mistress Contract is all debate which may appeal to feminists. There is no drama and no passion. The verbal exchanges are so very candid that some female members of the audience were so embarrassed they couldn’t stop giggling.
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