Wuthering Heights in York and Oxford

The Oxford Shakespeare Company premieres a new production of Wuthering Heights, today in Castle Howard, York:

Oxford Shakespeare Co. presents
Wuthering Heights
Adapted by April de Angelis
Directed by Michael Oakley
Original Music by Pete Flood
Castle Howard, York   ---  June 26th-30th
The Gardens of Wadham College, Oxford --- 2nd July, 17th August

In an exciting new venture, the team behind Lamplighter’s unanimously acclaimed The Life and Times of Fanny Hill, join the OSC to co-produce April de Angelis’ striking stage adaptation of Emily Brontë’s spell-binding Wuthering Heights.One of the most powerful love stories ever written by the great feminist writer of her age is brought to the stage by our leading feminist playwright.
April will be casting fresh eyes on her original text, originally commissioned by Birmingham rep in 2008 alongside director Michael Oakley (As You Like 2014 It and Private Lives 2018 for OSC) and composer Pete Flood (formerly of folk sensation Bellowhead) who both achieved excellent reviews for their work on Fanny Hill.Perhaps the most (in)famous romance in the literary canon this superlative tale of love and revenge - the tempestuous relationship of Heathcliff and Cathy from children to thwarted adults - is a timeless icon that continues to captivate audiences young and old to this day.
When Mr Earnshaw brings home the young “dark eyed boy” from unknown origins nobody is prepared for the astonishing relationship that unfolds between him and Earnshaw’s daughter Catherine – unleashing a tumult of passion affecting generations to come.This fast-moving exhilarating adaptation shows us that true love knows no bounds and holds the ordinary world in contempt.
April de Angelis is a highly acclaimed feminist playwright. Lamplighter are thrilled to be working with her again after the success of The Life and Times of Fanny Hill starring Caroline Quentin at Bristol Old Vic (touring 2021), one of the theatre’s fastest ever selling shows with a record number of first-time bookers under 30. The OSC are famous for their open air and site-specific productions in exceptional historic venues including Hampton Court and Kensington Palaces and the Tower of London.
It is with great pleasure then that their new co-production of this timeless Yorkshire classic will premiere at Castle Howard, the county’s finest stately home.

Via Yorkshire Business. 

EDIT: The York Press adds:

To prepare for presenting this account of Emily Brontë’s tempestuous story of the free-spirited Catherine and the dark, brooding Heathcliff on the wild, windswept Yorkshire moors, Charlotte headed to Castle Howard with April and Michael in March. “We first thought about the Walled Garden, but then we thought, ‘if you’re going to do an open-air theatre show, let the audience see the grounds, that lovely vista of Castle Howard’,” says Charlotte.
“We’ll be keeping the audience in one place, rather than moving around, as Oxford Shakespeare Company like to do immersive pieces where the actors are close to the audience, doing a very dynamic, fast-moving piece of theatre with the actors creating the environment from the setting and very few props.”
April was keen to experience Castle Howard at first hand before revising her script. “She said, ‘if you’d like me to look at the adaptation afresh, I want to adapt it for a Yorkshire setting for a Yorkshire story by having a look around first,” recalls Charlotte. “The reason is, when there’s no ‘fourth wall’ for outdoor theatre, there needs to be more direct contact with the audience to whip the action along.” (Charles Hutchinson)