Review: HAVISHAM, Jack Studio

Havisham, written and performed by Heather Alexander with direction and dramaturgy by Dominque Gerrard, offers a compelling backstory to one of literature's most enigmatic characters. This one-woman show opens with a ghoulish, macabre set that perfectly establishes the tone for this exploration of Miss Havisham from Dickens's Great Expectations.

The play cleverly addresses the predominantly negative characterisation of Miss Havisham in Dickens's novel, where she is primarily described through the male gaze as grim and cruel. Alexander's script provides insight into how men have shaped Miss Havisham's journey to becoming a recluse, highlighting that the men in her life maintained negative or exploitative relationships with her.

While Great Expectations is a novel following Pip's development, Havisham shifts focus to the psychological and moral growth of Miss Havisham herself. The production reveals a character who lacked role models and guidance, suggesting that childhood abuse led her to withdraw and perceive herself as undeserving of good things.

The writing draws heavily from the themes in Great Expectations but inverts a key dynamic. Where Pip is ultimately saved because good triumphs over evil, Havisham presents a world where evil prevails, leaving the protagonist bitter and determined to exact revenge against all men. This transformation is skilfully portrayed, showing Miss Havisham's evolution from a withdrawn, pitiful figure to someone briefly animated by wedding anticipation before descending into bitterness.

Alexander's script features exceptional, evocative lines throughout. Her discovery of Medusa's story serves as a prediction of her own experience, while the clever use of forget-me-nots carries dual symbolism. These flowers, associated with remembrance in relationships that transcend death, reflect Miss Havisham's longing for a relationship with her mother beyond the grave while also representing transformation.

The set design deserves special mention, functioning as an artistic expression that complements this passionately written play at every turn. Lighting and sound play crucial and effective roles in highlighting both the depressing state of Miss Havisham's adult life and the soul-destroying plight of her character as a child. As she becomes "the mistress of all she surveys," the creation of a dark space around her feels both inevitable and tragic.

This masterful portrayal demonstrates that Miss Havisham is not responsible for her state of mind but has merely responded to her environment, offering audiences a nuanced understanding of a character often reduced to a cautionary stereotype. Havisham successfully reframes our understanding of this literary figure, encouraging us to see beyond Dickens's characterisation to the complex woman beneath.

Havisham is at the Jack Studio Theatre until 16 March

To post a comment, you must register and login.