Wuthering Heights

One might be forgiven in assuming that this highly innovative and epic production of Emily Brontë’s much-loved classic, what with ethnicities and accents all over the place but somehow this Wise Children production (in collaboration with the National Theatre, the Bristol Old Vic and The York Theatre Royal) works… and exceedingly well!

Unless you have been living under a rock then you should be familiar with Emily Brontë’s Classic of English literature about two families of the landed gentry (the wealthy Lintons and the considerably poorer Earnshaws) living on the West Yorkshire moors. Even if you may not have read the novel you may have seen one or the other movie or TV-productions of ‘Wuthering Heights’ churned out over the years…which will have made you aware of the sheer complexity of this 19th century saga spanning several decades. Tricky enough to adapt for film it’s no mean feat to adapt this for the stage but thanks to the addition of music (performed live by Nadine Lee, Renell Shaw and Sid Goldsmith), dance and unique sets & costumes (designed by Vicki Mortimer) this tour-de-force will keep you entertained until the very end though admittedly having a strong concentration and an even stronger bladder helps!

We follow the trials and tribulations of young foundling Heathcliff (Liam Tamne) where he finds his eternal soul mate in fiery Catherine Earnshaw (Lucy McCormick) alas, fate has other ideas in store for the two star-crossed lovers…
From the outset we get an idea just how innovative this entire production is not just in terms of sets (collapsible doors, chairs stacked together in dwindling heights, digital background sceneries, a fake dog’s skull on a broomstick with the actor barking, young Heathcliff and Cathy as puppets and other delights) but the characters themselves (most doubling up) are simply incredible – heck, we even have a ‘Leader of the Yorkshire Moors’ in Nandi Bhebe, not only sporting a crown of tree sprigs but she’s a real belter too! On a par is the tiny framed Katy Owen who doubles as Isabella Linton and as Linton Heathcliff – it’s the latter character’s depiction which gives Jane Horrocks a run for her money while Mirabelle Gremaud’s ‘Zillah’ – complete with hilarious French accent – is just as delightful.

On the male front, Tama Phethean as ‘Hindley/Hareton Earnshaw’ is, literally, a larger than life character amply supported by TJ Holmes as ‘Robert’ and Sam Archer who cuts a dapper figure as ‘Lockwood/Edgar Linton’. Craig Johnson as ‘Mr. Earnshaw’ provides some comic relief doubling as ‘Dr. Kenneth’ when he ponders over all the various deaths which the Grim Reaper has brought upon the two families.
Last but not least the two main characters Cathy and Heathcliff: Lucy McCormick displays not only an entire range of emotions but has a singing voice worthy of any female rock singer worth her salt – just watch Lucy in action and you’ll see (and hear!) what I mean. Liam Tamne is just as impressive on the vocal front, after all, he is a Grammy-nominated artist and left a mighty impression on TV-reality show ‘The Voice’ with an otherwise intense performance.

The overall spectacle is rounded up by impressive dance interludes (courtesy of choreographer Etta Murfitt) and after leaving the auditorium you will never look at the Yorkshire Moors and this epic story of doomed love, revenge and redemption in the same light again!

WUTHERING HEIGHTS runs at the King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 28th of May.
(www.capitaltheatres.com)