It is always a pleasure to return to the iconic Shakespeare’s Globe, perfectly situated at Bankside on the south bank of the River Thames. Few venues feel as alive and atmospheric as the Globe, and for a production as raw and restless as Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children, it provides an especially fitting home.
Written in 1939, on the brink of the Second World War, Brecht’s play was inspired by the greed, destruction and moral collapse that war so often unleashes. Set during the Thirty Years’ War in 17th-century Europe (1618–1648), the story follows the fiercely determined Mother Courage, a travelling trader attempting to profit from conflict while simultaneously trying to feed and protect her three children. It is a brutal contradiction at the heart of the play: war sustains her livelihood even as it destroys everything she loves.
Mother Courage is played by Michelle Terry, whose performance is commanding from start to finish. I could not help noticing an uncanny resemblance to Catherine Tate – not only in voice and mannerisms, but even in appearance. At times, it genuinely felt as though Tate herself had stepped into the role. Terry portrays Mother Courage with grit, wit and relentless determination: a hard-nosed survivor who will stop at nothing to endure. She is fiercely protective of her children, yet Brecht never lets us forget the darker truth that survival often overrides sentimentality. Terry captures this moral ambiguity magnificently, delivering a performance full of energy, sharp humour and emotional weight.
Her three children – Eilif, Swiss Cheese and Kattrin, are played respectively by Vinnie Heaven, Rawaed Asde and Rachelle Diedericks. Diedericks is particularly moving as Kattrin, Mother Courage’s mute daughter, traumatised into silence after suffering horrific abuse in childhood. Kattrin’s innocence amid the savagery of war becomes one of the production’s emotional anchors, and Diedericks evokes enormous compassion throughout. Her performance serves as a devastating reminder of the countless innocent children caught up in conflicts created by adults.
As always, the staging at the Globe feels wonderfully immersive. Part of the set extends deep into the auditorium, allowing Mother Courage and her children to wheel their wagon of wares directly through the audience as they travel from border to border. Cast members make full use of the theatre space, creating a production rich in movement, sound and atmosphere. The Globe’s circular design ensures excellent visibility throughout, giving audiences a genuine sense of participation in the unfolding chaos.
Although often described as a play with music rather than a full musical, the production features several memorable musical moments performed by a strong and energetic cast. Another standout performance comes from Nadine Higgin as Yvette, a prostitute and occasional ally of Mother Courage who survives war in the only ways available to her. Higgin brings warmth and humour to the role, balancing business-minded pragmatism with a welcome comic touch. She also delivers a beautifully sung solo that showcases an impressive vocal range.
Despite its deeply bleak subject matter, Mother Courage and Her Children is unexpectedly funny in places. Much of the humour comes through Mother Courage herself, whose blunt observations and colourful language frequently provoke laughter from the audience. That balance between comedy and despair is what makes the play so effective: Brecht forces us to laugh even while confronting the horrifying realities of war. In today’s political climate, the themes feel just as relevant and unsettling as ever.
Dark, distressing, funny and thoroughly entertaining, this production is a powerful and emotionally charged experience.
Review by Bernadette Lintunen
War rages. Resources are scarce. Hope is a luxury. Mother Courage drags her cart through a wasteland stripped bare by greed and conflict – a profiteer, a survivor, and a mother. She’s learnt to make a living from war, and she’ll sell whatever’s left of humanity to keep herself and her children alive.
In the business of war, every victory costs her something – and eventually, everything.
Rawaed Asde – Swiss Cheese
Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge – Sargeant/Clerk/Man
Rachelle Diedericks – Kattrin
Sarita Gabony – Woman/Soldier
Keaton Guimarães-Tolley – Recruiter/Fur Coat/Soldier
Vinnie Heaven – Eilif
Nadine Higgin – Yvette
Daniel Rainford – Ensemble/Cover
Ferdy Roberts – Minister
Max Runham – Narrator
Simon Scardifield – General/Bloody Nose/Orange Sargeant
Nicolas Tennant – Chef
Michelle Terry – Mother Courage
Ayla Wheatley – Ensemble/Cover
Eiden-River Coleman / Sienna-Rae Kenna-Braithwaite – Child
Assistant Designer – Maighread McGinley
Assistant Director – Samuel Tracy
Casting Associate – Alice Walters
Casting Director – Becky Paris CDG
Children’s Administrator and Lead Chaperone – Denise Smith
Composer – James Maloney
Costume Supervisor – Karen Hopkinson
Designer – takis
Director – Elle While
Fight and Intimacy Direction – Rachel Bown-Williams of RC-Annie
Movement Director and Choreography – Anna Morrissey / Lucy Cullingford
Translator – Anna Jordan
Voice and Text – Nia Lynn
Writer – Bertolt Brecht
MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN
Shakespeare’s Globe
7 May to 27 June 2026
Book Tickets for Mother’s Courage
