National Theatre, London
A dislikable version of Charlotte, jockeying for prominence and yearning to be as immoral as Byron, is the surprising focus of this quick-witted drama
As a drama about the literary canon’s most famous sisters, Underdog explores the prickly edges of competitive sisterhood, first with a passing jibe at Jane Austen (for making it on to a banknote), then a fuller indictment by Charlotte (Gemma Whelan) who, in scarlet period dress and gen Z boots, tells us: “Young women judge older women more harshly than anybody else … They are conditioned to.”
Sarah Gordon’s play deals with writerly competition between the sisters themselves, although it is Charlotte who is most preoccupied by it. The older sister is a maternal figure to younger Anne (Rhiannon Clements) but also a ruthless rival when Anne’s literary fame risks eclipsing hers, and knifes both sisters strategically while speaking of sorority.
