Wuthering Heights At Bristol Old Vic Review

Reviewed by Mrs_Taylor

Bristol Old Vic is one of those theatres where you have a fantastic mix of modern and old. When you arrive the outside is incredibly modern as it has recently undergone a multi-million pound redevelopment and yet this is one of the oldest theatres in England and when you go through to the seating there is a plaque which says original 1800s seating. So when I found out Wuthering Heights was coming to Bristol Old Vic I was delighted to get tickets!

On arrival at the theatre I was given a postcard which had a QR code on it which when scanned gave you the programme for free. Programmes can be quite expensive and yet are lovely to read so it was great to get it this way. And definitely something I would like to see all theatre productions do! The second page of the programme gives you the Wuthering Heights family tree which is incredibly helpful and then there is a note from Emma Rice who explains her love for Wuthering Heights and what has inspired this production followed by information about all of the cast members.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is a complex book with so many different characters that it can be hard to keep track. This play changed that. Emma Rice and Wise Productions (her theatre company) has managed to keep the essence of the book – the fascinating revenge tragedy, while making it easy to understand. The songs, props, puppets and dancing are not what you would expect from a theatre production of Wuthering Heights but it just worked! The whole play was incredible.

When you first sit down in the theatre you can see the whole stage straightaway as there is no safety curtain. On the stage were a variety of musical instruments, chairs, a huge screen, a large ladder structure and not much else. And this stage doesn’t change much throughout the whole play. But the way lighting, mirrors, music and smaller props are used, create all the different locations perfectly.

The actors were all fantastic. Lucy McCormick plays Catherine and manages to make this incredibly tortured soul come to life. The emotion you get from her is electrifying and although I will never love Catherine as a character I felt Lucy’s version made me understand more of why she acted the way she did. Then all the other key characters including Ash Hunter as Heathcliff, Katy Owen as Isabella Linton, Little Linton and The Moor, Nandi Bhebe as The Leader of the Moor and Sam Archer as Lockwood, Edgar Linton and The Moor made the characters their own and were just incredible.

The whole play with an interval is three hours long which is the longest play I’ve seen! The first half is a lot longer than the second – around an hour and forty minutes compared to an hour for the second half but the time flew by. The first half is incredibly intense and dark and tragic which obviously fits in well with the theme of the book while the second half has a bit of comic relief with Little Linton played by Katy Owen but still keeps the same dark themes.

I would strongly recommend everyone go and see this! Whether you have read the book or only know the bare minimum about Catherine and Heathcliff it will completely absorb you. Also if you don’t have the chance to get to Bristol then you have the option to watch a live broadcast of the show on Thursday 4th until Saturday 6th November for £15* Single Viewer | £28* Multiple Viewer | £50 Pay It Forward (*Early Bird prices, available until Mon 1 Nov).

Rating: 5/ 5

Tickets cost from £5 to £37 and there is the option to pay extra and pay it forward – which gives other people the opportunity to come to the theatre.

Wuthering Heights is at Bristol Old Vic from Monday 11th October to Saturday 6th November 2021, for more information or to book tickets visit: https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/wuthering-heights or call the box office on 0117 987 7877.

Bristol Old Vic, King Street, Bristol, BS1 4ED.