Linck & Mülhahn

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The romantic sparring between the lovers is as clipped and ironic as that of any Noel Coward couple, but Linck agrees to Mülhahn’s suggestion they marry with the words, “F*** it, let’s do it”. Bain, who is non-binary, released a video statement on Instagram addressing some of these concerns, and Hampstead offered free preview tickets to trans and queer individuals who wanted to see the show but couldn’t afford a ticket. They are joined by Daniel Abbott , David Carr, Marty Cruickshank, Kammy Darweish, Qasim Mahmood, Leigh Quinn and Timothy Speyer. Ruby Thomas has unearthed an altogether sadder story from early 18th-century Prussia, of a married couple who were tried for sodomy after it was discovered that the husband had been born female.

Written by Ruby Thomas, this epic love story centres on the true lives of a gender-pioneering couple – dashing soldier Anastasius Linck and the rebellious Catharina Mülhahn. The same goes for the punk music, which comes across as a loud, on-the-nose reminder that the content of the play is supposed to be rebellious, subversive and provocative, when in reality, strong performances from the cast alone are enough to detail the breadth of feeling on the issue of gender at the time, and the bravely defiant acts of some in an otherwise restrictive society. We’re passing through a phase where dramatists addressing the question of gender identity seem to place uplift above all else. Ruby Thomas’ epic and playful modern love story is inspired by eighteenth century court records and the extraordinary true lives of this gender pioneering couple. When they were prosecuted for sodomy in 1721, Mülhahn claimed she’d been tricked by Linck and escaped with a three-year sentence.This play's relentless enthusiasm for turning tragedy into comedy founders in the second half, when Linck’s fight for his life turns into a grating courtroom farce packed with the buffoonish antics of various bewigged gentlemen. The most frustrating example of this is in its conclusion, where an intriguing commentary on truth is presented by the older Mülhahn, about something being made being “un-made”, and how the concept of truth has become subjective, ready to be reinterpreted by individuals as they see fit. They will be joined by Daniel Abbott, David Carr, Marty Cruickshank, Kammy Darweish, Qasim Mahmood, Leigh Quinn and Timothy Speyer. If you missed I, Joan at the Globe last year, then Hampstead Theatre’s Linck and Mülhahn tries to emulate its daring and ambitious nature, but only somewhat successfully.

Unlike Hampstead theatre, which, stripped of its grant last year, has just put on the most exhilarating play I’ve seen there for ages. Take, for instance, Lucy Black’s permanently aghast Mother, who is brilliantly funny in her fragility and her shock at even the slightest deviation from the norm. It’s appropriate for our current post-truth era, and the idea of retrospectively applying a new truth or interpretation to stories of gender from history is incredibly timely and novel, but to leave it as a footnote rather than an idea explored from the start – especially when the play opens and closes with an older Mülhahn as our narrator – is underwhelming and disappointing.

Scene changes on Simon Wells’ stark, revolving set – of a staircase, a landing and a wall – are accompanied by jarring bursts of rock music including The Sex Pistols and The Clash. Imaginatively reverse-engineered from a historic trial document, Ruby Thomas’s tale of a couple who pioneered gender flexibility in 18th century Prussia is, ultimately, a bit of a mess. Maggie Bain (Man to Man, Wales Millennium Centre; Henry V, Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre) plays the role of Anastasius Linck with Helena Wilson (Jack Absolute Flies Again, National Theatre; The Lady from the Sea, Donmar) playing the role of Catharina Mülhahn and Lucy Black (The Durrells, ITV; The Haystack, Hampstead Theatre) playing Mother.

Like the principal characters, Thomas’s script eludes categorisation, weaving in Restoration comedy, Jane Austen and courtroom drama, as it depicts the unseemly scrabbles of the marriage market. At times, it’s ploddingly paced, with Thomas trying to pack too many ideas into a narrative that is at its best when it’s tightly focused on the central characters’ passionate relationship. Wilson’s sparky, self-deprecating Mülhahn completes the two-hander, whose enthusiastic embrace of the philosophies of love is endearing, and echoed with tragic reflection from Mülhahn’s older self (Marty Cruikshank). Touch is often mentioned, from the touché of swordsmanship to the idea of touch going beyond what the eyes can see, to get closer to the “true essence” of an individual. From Gentleman Jack to Orlando, the queer costume drama has been pushing debates around gender and sexuality into the mainstream in the disguise of rollicking good fun.Ruby Thomas's ambitious, drop-dead gorgeous piece roars onto Hampstead Theatre’s main stage with a rare swagger and brio, full of scintillating wit, swashbuckling action and ultimately a hugely satisfying emotional wallop.