Wuthering Heights

I was intrigued to find out what was hiding behind the doors of the Loft Theatre, having never been there before, tucked out of the way from the bustle of the street. After weeks of seeing studio performances and plays in thrust-stage theatres, I have to admit the traditionalist inside me was most appeased by the proscenium arch, as well as the rich red velvet curtains and matching seats.

My reason for visiting was the opening night of Wuthering Heights, an adaptation of Emily Bronte’s classic novel of all-consuming love, and an undying need for revenge, set upon the cold Yorkshire moors. Unlike most people in my English A Level class, I was never taken in by the turbulent love story, and indeed found the whole story interesting only when coupled with my own undying love for Ralph Fiennes in the 1992 film.

So, as the curtain lifted on the sparse set, dominated by a lone, withered tree and sloping levels, I was uncertain whether my journey back to the moors after three years of avoidance would end positively. And yet from the moment the actors began speaking I was totally hooked. Each character was, I’m happy to say, exactly as I hadn’t imagined them to be when I read the novel; indeed their performances were so much more colourful and dynamic that I couldn’t help but be drawn in. Despite great performances from all of the actors, Danny Mackie stole the show for me, both perfectly foul as Hindley and charmingly simple as Hareton. His transformation was completely effective, as it must be mentioned, was that of Karen Brooks from Isabelle to her son Linton. This doubling up of characters was an interesting choice, and one which certainly added to the theme of bloodline revenge that the novel is so famous for.

Cathy and Heathcliff, played by Romy Alexander and James Allan respectively were equally well-suited to their roles, though I felt their use of Yorkshire accents at times detracted from the natural modulation of the voice and on occasion left lines devoid of emotion (though, I confess, the accents did make me homesick for my own Northern home!)  Nonetheless, their chemistry was undeniable from beginning to end.

I must give mention to the script, adapted from the novel by Lucy Gough, which made exactly the right changes necessary for this production to work. Gone was the opening introduction of Lockwood, with the flashback to Heathcliff’s childhood, yet Gough managed to keep the novel’s fluid concept of time through an opening scene between Cathy Linton and Hareton, and various flashbacks throughout.

In perfect alignment with this was the fluidity of the performance, unbroken by scene changes, which was ideal in keeping the pace of this fast moving story. I was also very impressed with the way in which the actors made use of levels on the stage. This was particularly poignant towards the end of the play, when the broad figure of Danny Mackie’s Hareton became almost insignificant as Heathcliff towered above him on a raised platform, asserting his dominance in the scene and altogether transforming the character status within the scene. Playing with status and superiority, the stage had sloping levels and a high raised platform which kept the whole thing dynamic and interesting from beginning to end. Coupled with interesting uses of lighting, sound and backdrop projections of thunder storms and grey skys, the atmosphere was sufficiently eerie to make the appearance of Cathy’s ghost on the stage quite chilling.

All in all, this is a fantastic production. There is nothing ‘amateur’ here, and the cast and crew alike can be commended on giving the full house a wonderful evening’s entertainment. It’s imaginative; it’s exciting; and it’s on your doorstep; it’d be rude not to go! One thing is certain: while I know that I will never read Wuthering Heights again, I cannot be sure that I won’t pop along to see this production another time.

Wuthering Heights is playing at the Loft Theatre, Leamington Spa until 2 November.