Synopsis

The Herbal Bed by Peter Whelan is a compelling historical drama based on real events that took place in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1613.

The play centres on Susanna Hall, the daughter of William Shakespeare, who finds herself at the heart of a scandal when she is accused of having an adulterous affair with Rafe Smith, a local haberdasher and family friend.

Despite the accusation coming from the disreputable Jack Lane, who later recants, Susanna and her husband, Dr. John Hall, decide to sue for slander in the ecclesiastical court of Worcester Cathedral. The stakes are high: not only is Susanna’s reputation on the line, but John’s medical practice and their family’s standing in the community are also at risk.

As the trial unfolds, the play explores the tension between private desire and public morality, and the ways in which truth can be manipulated under the weight of social and religious expectations. Whelan’s script is rich with period detail and emotional nuance, offering a vivid portrait of life in Jacobean England and the personal cost of maintaining honour in a judgmental world.

Poster image by Holly Gorne.