Review: Classic WUTHERING HEIGHTS Is given New Life With A Contemporary Adaptation

Wednesday 23rd March 2016, Riverside Theatre, Parramatta

Shake & Stir Theatre Company has bought Emily Brontë's dark and twisted story of love and revenge into the 21st Century with its interpretation of WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Adaptor and Director Nick Skubij has blended modern language, clean design and modern technology to create a work that is accessible to modern audiences whilst still retaining references to the story's old world setting.

The ominous mood is instantly set with the clap of thunder and flash of lighting that fills the minimalistic monochrome grand room of a stately manor. Voices lift out of the pages of a book a young man is frantically reading, blended with eerie sounds and screams before a piano melody with a melancholy undertone fills the room. The curtains over the three French windows serve as screens for large projections of the characters that form the basis for housekeeper Nelly Dean's (Linden Wilkinson) memories of the neighboring Wuthering Heights.

At first it appears as if the work will be a period piece as Nelly (is dressed in Edwardian dress as she recounts the intertwined history of her current home, Thrushcross Grange, and the mysterious Wuthering Heights. As the story delves into Nelly's memories, costume designer Leigh Buchanan has also opted to keep the rest of the occupants of Wuthering Heights in attire that signals an older family in comparison to the fashionable, more contemporary stylings of the occupants of Thrushcross Grange. Set Designer Josh McIntosh employs simple changes to transform the grand manor from the dark, cursed Wuthering Heights, to the lightness of Thrushcross Grange, reflecting the bright carefree Linton siblings.

The language Skubij has adopted for the adaptation of the volatile, doomed love story brings the work into the 21st Century, particularly with the wild orphan Heathcliff's (Ross Balbuziente) rough expression. Skubij has opted to present the work with a blended Australian English sound rather than having the characters adopt distinctly English accents. The accents change as the character's social standing changes throughout the story and during flashbacks dialogue is presented with a degree of exaggeration, reflecting the distortion of recollection.

Balbuziente presents a wonderfully brooding and sinister Heathcliff, developing from a relatively two dimensional memory into the manipulative, vindictive character that Nelly cared for and feared. He gives the outsider a passion and anger, creating a terrifying character underneath the smoldering good looks. He is countered by the damaged Hindley Earnshaw (Nick Skubij), first presented as the put out son, sent off to school by an unseen father as favour fell to the feral Heathcliff. On return to Wuthering Heights Skubij gives Hindley as greater power as he takes control of the estate along with a passion for bride Frances before he descends in to depression and alcoholism following her death. The third significant male, Thrushcross Grange's fashionable and somewhat vapid blonde Edgar Linton is presented by Tim Dashwood in stark contrast to the men of Wuthering Heights but he too is affected by the dark curse of Wuthering Heights as he becomes involved with Catherine Earnshaw (Gemma Willing).

Linden Wilkinson gives the consistent Nelly Dean, the only character to witness demise of the two generations of occupants of the houses, a reserved but astute air as she exposes the twisted history. She retains the formality of a servant whilst still having a familiarity with the Earnshaws and Lintons given the length of time she has served both houses. There is a care and compassion along with an awareness of how to 'manage' the personalities.

Central female character, Catherine Earnshaw is presented by Gemma Willing who conveys the transition from carefree young girl with no care for refinement to the cold closed off manipulative woman who seems taken by the sophistication and grandeur of the Lintons. Presented to reflect Isabella's refinement with a darker twist, Willing conveys Catherine's self-absorbed volatile and passionate nature that bubbles beneath the façade. In comparison, Isabella (Nelle Lee) is a presented as a naive two dimensional ditzy character that becomes a pawn in Catherine and Heathcliff's scheming.

Lee, Skubij, and Willing take on a number of roles from from the different generations. In addition to Isabella Linton, Lee appears as Hindley's wife Frances and later, in a pants role, as Isabella and Healthcliff's son, the feeble Linton Heathcliff. Skubij presents both Hindley Earnshaw and his son Hareton, the child left to the care of Heathcliff as the tables are turned. Likewise, Willing plays both Catherine and her daughter Cathy Linton who appears to be like her mother in her younger carefree days in both appearance and manner. This doubling of roles does however make the second act more confusing as Heathcliff continues his revenge on the next generation.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS is a well-constructed work that adopts modern theatre technology to make it accessible to new audiences that are used to multimedia expression. The pre-recorded projections allow for reinforcement of expressions and emotions that unfold through the dialogue and Nelly's narration. Jason Glenwright and Guy Webster's lighting and sound (respectively) adds to the mysterious mood that settles windswept moors, heightening the drama.

Whilst the season at Riverside Parramatta has ended, WUTHERING HEIGHTS is touring regional theatres in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Northern Territory and Queensland. It is an entertaining expression of the classic work that would appeal to a wide audience from high school students to the general public.

Photos: Dylan Evans

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
9 - 12 March Canberra Theatre Centre

NEW SOUTH WALES
15 March Glasshouse Theatre, Port Macquarie
18 March Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, Nowra
21 March Riverside Theatres, Parramatta
30 March Griffith Regional Theatre
1 - 2 April Laycock Street Theatre, Gosford
6 April Dubbo Regional Theatre
8 - 9 April Orange Civic Theatre

VICTORIA
12 April West Gippsland Arts Centre, Warragul
14 - 16 April Geelong Performing Arts Centre
19 April Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo
22 April Mildura Arts Centre
27 April WestSide PAC, Shepparton
29 April Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool
13 May Frankston Art Centre
17 May Her Majesty's Theatre, Ballarat

TASMANIA
4 - 7 May Theatre Royal Hobart
10 May Theatre North at the Princess, Launceston

NORTHERN TERRITORY
21 May Araluen Theatre, Alice Springs
25 May Darwin Entertainment Centre

QUEENSLAND
27 May Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton
31 May Mackay Entertainment Centre
2 - 3 June Townsville Civic Theatre
7 June Brolga Theatre, Maryborough
10 June Empire Theatre Toowoomba
12 - 19 June QPAC, Brisbane

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