A white collar Heathcliff and other news

The Boar reviews the Loft Theatre production of Wuthering Heights.

So, as the curtain lifted on the sparse set, dominated by a lone, withered tree and sloping levels, I was uncertain whether my journey back to the moors after three years of avoidance would end positively. And yet from the moment the actors began speaking I was totally hooked. Each character was, I’m happy to say, exactly as I hadn’t imagined them to be when I read the novel; indeed their performances were so much more colourful and dynamic that I couldn’t help but be drawn in. Despite great performances from all of the actors, Danny Mackie stole the show for me, both perfectly foul as Hindley and charmingly simple as Hareton. His transformation was completely effective, as it must be mentioned, was that of Karen Brooks from Isabelle to her son Linton. This doubling up of characters was an interesting choice, and one which certainly added to the theme of bloodline revenge that the novel is so famous for.
Cathy and Heathcliff, played by Romy Alexander and James Allan respectively were equally well-suited to their roles, though I felt their use of Yorkshire accents at times detracted from the natural modulation of the voice and on occasion left lines devoid of emotion (though, I confess, the accents did make me homesick for my own Northern home!)  Nonetheless, their chemistry was undeniable from beginning to end.
I must give mention to the script, adapted from the novel by Lucy Gough, which made exactly the right changes necessary for this production to work. Gone was the opening introduction of Lockwood, with the flashback to Heathcliff’s childhood, yet Gough managed to keep the novel’s fluid concept of time through an opening scene between Cathy Linton and Hareton, and various flashbacks throughout.
In perfect alignment with this was the fluidity of the performance, unbroken by scene changes, which was ideal in keeping the pace of this fast moving story. I was also very impressed with the way in which the actors made use of levels on the stage. This was particularly poignant towards the end of the play, when the broad figure of Danny Mackie’s Hareton became almost insignificant as Heathcliff towered above him on a raised platform, asserting his dominance in the scene and altogether transforming the character status within the scene. Playing with status and superiority, the stage had sloping levels and a high raised platform which kept the whole thing dynamic and interesting from beginning to end. Coupled with interesting uses of lighting, sound and backdrop projections of thunder storms and grey skys, the atmosphere was sufficiently eerie to make the appearance of Cathy’s ghost on the stage quite chilling.
All in all, this is a fantastic production. There is nothing ‘amateur’ here, and the cast and crew alike can be commended on giving the full house a wonderful evening’s entertainment. It’s imaginative; it’s exciting; and it’s on your doorstep; it’d be rude not to go! One thing is certain: while I know that I will never read Wuthering Heights again, I cannot be sure that I won’t pop along to see this production another time. (Harley Ryley)

The Daily Mail has an article on the Tour de France passing through Yorkshire next year.

Leeds will host the Grand Départ on 5 July, with the stage taking the riders north through Otley, Ilkley and Skipton before heading to Harrogate.
Stage two see the riders heading west from York towards Haworth - the village that was home to the Brontë family - and passing through Holmfirth, the filming location for long-running BBC sitcom Last Of The Summer Wine, before reaching Sheffield.

A columnist from the SunSentinel has compiled a different list of scary movies:

So in celebration of the season, here are movies so chilling to everyman that they will send your guy into a panic the moment you hit "play": [...]
10. Tie: "Wuthering Heights" or "Jane Eyre" - any adaptation, any director, any time period. (Gina Barreca)

We know it's for fun, but we honestly find this kind of thing rather sexist. We know many men who enjoy the Brontës (or Little Women and Titanic for that matter).

The Herald (Ireland) quotes rather freely from Wuthering Heights.

The books on these shelves tell my own personal story. They chronicle the journey of my life. Sometimes, to quote a hysterical Cathy about Heathcliff, I think they are my life. (Carol Hunt)

The Village Voice reviews the film Diana.

In contrast, Andrews's Khan is almost comically unflappable, a white collar Heathcliff who doesn't give a hoot about titles. During his first visit to Diana's posh digs, he asks her to order takeaway and then turns on the telly to watch soccer. She swoons. We don't quite buy their odd romance as an eternal love, but after a decade and a half of using antique fish forks, we can see why she likes the guy. (Amy Nicholson)

ABC (Spain) lists the last words of several writers, among them Charlotte Brontë and her poignant  'I am not going to die, am I? He will not separate us, we have been so happy'. The Christian Science Monitor features the classics adapted for children (as recently featured by The New York Times as well). Daisy Dolls shows the shirt for her Rochester doll.