Webster's dark tale tells of Vittoria Corombona and her lover, Duke Brachiano,
who are brought together by Vittoria's brother, Flamineo. They arrange the murders of Vittoria's husband, Camillo,
and Brachiano's wife, Isabella. Vittoria and Flamineo are brought to trial for the murders before Isabella's
brother, the Duke of Florence and Camillo's cousin, Cardinal Monticelso. There is not enough evidence to convict
Flamineo, but Vittoria is confined to a House of Convertites.
With the aid of Brachiano, whom she subsequently marries, Vittoria escapes to Padua. The Duke of Florence,
seeking revenge for his sister's murder, employs the services of Count Lodovico, and they follow them to Padua,
where Brachiano, Flamineo and Vittoria are all murdered by Lodovico and his companion, Gasparo. The Duke returns safely to
Rome, leaving the murderers to suffer the consequences of their deeds.
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Rupert Brooke said that "A play of Webster's is full of the feverish and ghastly turmoil of a nest of maggots...
The sight of their fever is only alleviated by the permanent calm, unfriendly summits and darkness of the background
of death and gloom... Human beings are writhing grubs in an immense night."
This production was set in a world of darkness and shadows, where the vivid characters were picked out by shafts of brilliant light.
The costumes were early Renaissance, and the colours were confined to black, reds, oranges and golds - the hot end of the
spectrum to reflect the primal passions which drive the plot -
with Vittoria, the 'White Devil' of the title, standing out in shimmering white.
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