A laid-back Heathcliff, Bertha Rochester and The Sopranos

More reviews for the York Theatre Royal's production of Wuthering Heights. The Times gives three stars out of five:

Jane Thornton’s deft, economical adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel remains a period piece. And yet a case could almost be made for Sue Dunderdale’s pacey production of it to be seen and studied by anyone interested in the psychology of contemporary adolescents. After all, aren’t young people today just as temperamental, conflicted in their emotions and wilful in their decisions as those depicted by Brontë in the mid-19th century? (...)

(...)Dunderdale puts a talented young cast of five through some vigorous paces. The actors play their parts and further the plot as narrators, slipping between multiple duties with relative simplicity and assurance. Lorna Ritchie’s attractive split-level set allows them plenty of room to manoeuvre. With its hard, horizontal lines offset by a double staircase, it functions almost like a playground upon which they enact a complicated, sober game of let’s pretend.

Perhaps inevitably, given the small size of the cast, some muddiness arises in the second act as Brontë’s tangled, troubled tale tumbles into the next generation. A family tree might have come in handy just to keep track of who begat whom.

That’s not all that’s missing here. Harris makes a fine Cathy. You believe that this spirited and, frankly, selfish girl would die for love. Fry’s slouching, laid-back Heathcliff is no match for her. He’s uncouth and sulky but not, as described in the script, fierce and wolfish. The actor simply hasn’t enough strength of presence to help lift the show to the higher levels of feeling to which it aspires. (Donald Hutera)

Talking about theatrical adaptations of Brontë novels, Imogen Russell Williams posts on The Guardian's Theatre Blog about transferring popular novels to the stage and describes Polly Teale's Jane Eyre like this:

There have been some outstanding adaptations of books for the stage. Polly Teale's brilliant version of Jane Eyre, which envisaged Bertha Rochester as Jane's dangerous, sensual alter ego, is one.

Bertha also appears on The Minnesota Women's Press that unveils another interesting Brontë reference. This is an article about lesbian writer's communities in Minnesota:

But three writers we spoke with are members of a local writing group called Bertha, which began in the 1980s. Writer Morgan Grayce Willow, whose poetry has been published in journals and anthologies, explained, "It's named for Bertha Rochester, the 'Madwoman in the Attic' referred to in the seminal feminist critical work of the same name ... Bertha Rochester being, of course, the mad wife of Rochester in 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Brontë. Hers is the dark tale that's hidden, yet nurtured, which eventually, inevitably surfaces as it must." (Nancy Hedin)

The three writers, new Brontëites to be added to our ever growing list, are Morgan Grayce Willow, Barrie Jean Borich and Judith Katz.

We read on the Clackamas Review how the new Memory Garden of the Oregon City High School contains an unexpected Brontë reference:

An engraved plaque recalls the words of Charlotte Bronte: “There’s no use in weeping, Though we are condemned to part: There’s such a thing as keeping A remembrance in one’s heart…” (Patrick Sherman)

The words belong to her poem Parting.

On the blogosphere today: the Brontë Parsonage Blog gives you the chance to know the youngest member of the Brontë Society, and arguably the cutest, Rachel Angela just 8 weeks old. Angelic Teacher visits Haworth and posts about it (no pictures, though). Poet Silvia Palferro devotes a poem to Emily Brontë: 'Tejido Salvaje' (in Spanish). Read it here. A long article in Portuguese devoted to Paula Rego (with special mention to her Wide Sargasso Sea works). A review of Jane Eyre in Italian published on CastleRock. And, finally, this puzzling comment on Dystel & Goderich Literary Management blog:

On the other hand, I’m happy enough to obsess about the greatness of a groundbreaking television series [The Sopranos] and the parallels between the last episode’s shocking sign-off and Charlotte Bronte’s brilliant and mostly overlooked Villette (any of you agree?) and not at all embarrassed to discuss it.

We haven't seen the episode... but if anybody can enlighten us, please do it.

Categories: Brontëites, Charlotte Brontë,In the News, Jane Eyre, Poetry, Theatre,Weirdo, Wuthering Heights