A tragic story
Wuthering
Heights at The Studio, 11th - 12th February
Wuthering Heights compressed into a two hour show and performed in the round? It was a tall order, but Heartbreak Productions somehow managed to carry it off with workmanlike efficiency, very much in keeping with the tradition of the hardworking Yorkshire-types they portrayed.
The story focuses on a young street-kid called Heathcliffe who is adopted by a rich family and becomes incredibly close to his adopted sister, Cathy. Over the years we see the characters deal with love, death and bitter feuds.
While Thomas Hayler and Gabrielle Meadows’ Heathcliff and Cathy didn’t exactly set the moors alight with passion, they were more than believable. Hayler’s ability to cope with the mysterious gypsy-come-gentleman’s wild moodswings and variety of personality transformations delivered the full package of downtrodden, vengeful and haunted madman with atmosphere and style.
Meadows, meanwhile, gave us a suitably wild, carefree Cathy, winding her way around the imaginatively designed sets and haunting her suitor that never was with chilling perseverance, even when only whispered from the wings.
Meanwhile, whoever decided also to cast the willowy Meadows as Heathcliff’s nebbish son Linton deserves some kind of award. Often compared to a girl by other characters in the book, the jokes worked with a delicious physical irony here.
Plaudits go to Maddy Kerr’s Nelly Dean, an all-singing, all-dancing, drum and keyboard playing megastar of a performer. With multimedia skills rivalling the likes of Bill Bailey, she was even able to provide a pitch-perfect aria for Cathy’s funeral, as well as narrating the story with ease while occasionally stepping outside the plot to quiz the audience on their enjoyment of the play, and the evening in general.
Lighting and sets were sparse but cleverly used, with a vaguely graveyard-like setting easily serving as Thrushcross Grange and the Heights themselves (iconically lit in powder blue and a looming rust respectively) as well as the wild, windy moors.
I had immediate concerns that abridging a book which derives such power from its depth and lingering emotion may have fared badly for audience comprehension of the plot. However, the friend I dragged along had had no previous contact with Brontë’s work save watching Kate Bush chuck herself round a field, and still came out of the theatre with a full, satisfied appreciation of the story.
All in all, hats off to Heartbreak Productions for tackling a tricky project, acquitting themselves well, and providing a popular and well-received two days at the Studio. Find out more about Heartbreak Productions and their outdoor theatre plans for the summer at http://www.heartbreakproductions.co.uk/.
