THEATRE REVIEW: Wuthering Heights - The Lowry Theatre, Salford

Emily Brontë’s epic story of love, revenge, and redemption has been brought to life in this new National Theatre co-production with Wise Children, Bristol Old Vic and York Theatre Royal in an almost three-hour long adaptation currently showing at The Lowry, Salford. It’s the full package; live music, dance, puppets, comedy, actors portraying the Yorkshire Moors - all performed against distinct video backdrops.

The plot follows the life of Heathcliff (Liam Tamne) - a mysterious gypsy-like person, from childhood to his death in his late thirties. Heathcliff rises in his adopted family and then is reduced to the status of a servant, running away when the young woman he loves decides to marry another. He returns later, rich and educated, and sets about gaining his revenge on the two families that he believed ruined his life.  

Adapted and directed by Emma Rice, this play really dives into explorations of passion, mental health and what women really want from life. Lucy McCormick gives an incredible performance as Catherine, and the fact she delivers that performance every night is an outstanding feat. The cast also give strong performances of their characters, delivering serious storylines with just the right amount of comedy to keep the audience engaged. Katy Owen particularly gave an incredibly funny portrayal of Heathcliff’s son Linton in the second act, who brought a lot of joy to people’s faces across the auditorium.  

The staging for this show is totally stripped back, kept minimal and simple. With the wings removed either side of the stage, a full unmasked view of the behind-the-scenes allows audiences to really feel more included in the whole production. With a projection on the back screen of clouds moving across Wuthering Heights, and gentle wind noises gently playing throughout the play, it really keeps the audience submerged in the world which has been created.  

The music in this production is absolutely beautiful. It’s a real key element, intertwining with the action happening at the front of the stage from the live band situated at the back. It styles an almost improvisational feel, flowing with the mood of the characters and scenes seamlessly.  

I really appreciated that this adaptation acknowledged that it can be difficult for audiences to keep track of characters with them growing up, timelines moving on at varying rates and the same names bring used for multiple family members. With the use of comical blackboards, Wise Children really did a great job of making this show more accessible and open to audiences. Once the show ended, a pupil on a school trip in front of us exclaimed “well, I understood that much better than the book!” - so this appreciation was certainly felt throughout the auditorium, too.  

Emma Rice’s love of Wuthering Heights really shines through in every element of this production, and is carefully produced to allow this story to be shared with new audiences across the country. This incredible adaptation is currently at The Lowry, running until Saturday 7th May.

Reviewer - Nicky Jones
on - 4.5.22