The Mitford sisters, Oxfordshire’s most infamous siblings, are the subject of The Party Girls, Amy Rosenthal’s powerful new play now showing at the Oxford Playhouse. Privileged, dazzlingly glamorous, and politically divisive, the Mitfords were darlings of high society whose flirtations with extremism continue to fascinate and appal.
Rosenthal’s play moves between pre- and post-war Britain, weaving in and out of key moments from 1932 to 1969. It captures both the intoxicating glamour of the age and the dark undercurrents of dangerous politics. At its core, it is as much about family division as it is about ideology.
Sisters on the Stage
The play focuses on five of the six sisters: Nancy (Kirsty Besterman), Diana (Elisabeth Dermot Walsh), Unity (Ell Potter), Debo (Flora Spencer-Longhurst), and Jessica – known as Decca – played with captivating energy by Oxfordshire’s own Emma Noakes.
Nancy longs to be a novelist; Diana and Unity fall under the spell of Britain’s and Germany’s fascist leaders; Debo sets her sights on marrying into aristocracy; and Jessica, fiercely independent, flees to America where she becomes politically active and falls in love with Hungarian Jewish immigrant Bob Treuhaft (Joe Cohen).
Through Jessica’s eyes, fittingly, as Noakes trained at the Oxford School of Drama and has a long history with the Playhouse, the story unfolds as a series of vivid, fragmented memories. These scenes reveal both the sisters’ intimacy and the chasms opened up by their political choices.
The Cast
- Nancy (Kirsty Besterman), the aspiring novelist.
- Diana (Elisabeth Dermot Walsh), drawn to Fascist leader Oswald Mosley.
- Unity (Ell Potter), whose devotion to Hitler shocked Britain.
- Debo (Flora Spencer-Longhurst), who married into aristocracy.
- Jessica (Decca) (Emma Noakes), the rebel Communist whose love story with Bob Treuhaft (Joe Coen) gives the play its emotional heartbeat.
History Brought Uncomfortably Close
The play doesn’t shy away from the Mitfords’ most shocking connections: Diana’s marriage to Sir Oswald Mosley, her subsequent imprisonment for passing secrets to the enemy; Unity and Diana’s friendship with Hitler; and their presence at the Nuremberg rally. These moments drew audible gasps from the audience, reminders of how close to power these Oxfordshire women once stood.
But there are also moments of tenderness: flashes of sibling affection, wit, and vulnerability that humanise these notorious figures.
A Resonant Production
This is a sensational story, boldly staged and beautifully performed. The cast is uniformly strong, with each sister given clarity and dimension. Rosenthal’s writing ensures that the play is more than a history lesson, it’s a mirror, reflecting divisions, extremism, and political passion that still resonate today.
The audience at the Playhouse was gripped, with collective intakes of breath and moments of stunned silence at some of the most emotive exchanges.
Verdict
The Party Girls is thought-provoking, unsettling, and deeply compelling. While rooted in history, its themes feel urgently relevant in today’s world. We highly recommend it.
It runs at the Oxford Playhouse until Saturday, 4 October. For tickets, contact the Box Office on 01865 305305 or visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com.
The Party Girls At a Glance
- Venue: Oxford Playhouse
- Production: A Marlowe Theatre production
- Written by: Amy Rosenthal
- Directed by: Richard Beecham
- Set design: Simon Kenny
- Dates: Friday 3 – Saturday 4 October 2025
- Duration: 2 hrs 20 mins (including interval)
- Age guidance: 12+
- Content warning: Contains a gunshot; references to suicide; explores antisemitism.
- Tickets: From £14 (14–25 year olds £5). Box office: 01865 305305 or oxfordplayhouse.com
- Accessibility: Audio-described and touch tour performance on Sat 4 Oct, 2:30pm
