Wuthering Heights – National Theatre – Review

Last Updated on February 6, 2022

 A vivid and engaging Wise Children production – Wuthering Heights

Emily Brontë’s epic novel of love and revenge, Wuthering Heights, has been adapted for the stage by Emma Rice. This co-production between the National Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Wise Children and York Theatre Royal successful opened at Bristol Old Vic in October and has now transferred to the Lyttelton stage at the National.

A live band on stage (music from composer Ian Ross) with soaring strings and beats from a double bass, cello, guitar and drums creates a dynamic backdrop to Vicky Mortimer’s sparing set which beautifully captures the bleak, grey and turbulent atmosphere of the howling weather conditions on the Yorkshires Moors. Her costumes are wild and lawless and a large projection screen (sound and video design Simon Baker) depicts stormy images, which are accompanied by the cast hissing and screeching from the sides of the stage. A few simple structures move swiftly through the space representing a number of scenarios. Stacks of wooden chairs, a ladder pyramid and a revolving door and window which blow open and slam shut in wind. Etta Murfitt’s choreography is intoxicating and John Leader’s puppetry also plays an effective role, creating innocent children and fabulous gnarling dogs portrayed with sculls on sticks, which viciously snap at unwanted guests. A yellow skipping rope represents the wind and books on sticks along with sound effects depict fluttering birds.

It’s a long time since I’ve read Wuthering Heights and I have to admit my memory of the narrative is pretty scratchy, but I needn’t have worried as Emma Rice’s anarchic production retells this turbulent and passionate story in clear, highly theatrical steps, which includes blackboards for names, births and deaths and a reminder of the year, 1847.

Heathcliff (Ash Hunter) is rescued from the docks by a kindly Mr Earnshaw (Craig Johnson) who brings him home to his two children Catherine (Lucy McCormick) and Hindley (Tama Phethean). Young Cathy and Heathcliff form a kindred bond, whereas Hindley is consumed with jealousy and sets out to destroy him. Heathcliff leaves the moors for several years returning as a gentleman, only to find Cathy married to the gentle and well-mannered Edgar Linton. Passions run high as Heathcliff sets to wreak his revenge.

The first half grabbed my attention with its rambunctious energy and visceral atmosphere. The Moor itself is imaginatively depicted as a character taking over the role of narrator and led by the marvellous Nandhi Bhebe with shapeshifting members of the cast who dip in and out of the chorus into other roles. Uplifting music and evocative folk songs, with an especially good opening number about Moors, vividly set the pace.

McCormick’s wide-eyed Cathy is wild, rebellious and unkempt, and although she gives a very powerful performance, grabbing a microphone at one point and singing like a banshee rock star she never appears to soften. Cathy says “Heathcliff is more myself than I am”, but I struggled to find the beating heart; where was the impassioned love affair between her and Heathcliff?

Hunter was believable as the spurned orphan, he has a strong and stirring voice, but as the older Heathcliff, who returns in the second half, there appeared to be no vulnerability beneath his cold and impenetrable exterior.