Tortured Drama Hero in The Read and next in Australia

BBC Media Centre announces that the Series Three of BBC Four's The Read will include a Wuthering Heights episode:

A must-watch for literature lovers of all ages, The Read returns this November with a new series of performance readings from more iconic British novels, including Wuthering Heights, The Strange Case of Dr Je
kyll and Mr Hyde, Nineteen Eighty-Four and A Christmas Carol. (...)

In December (...) Bradford born actor, Vinette Robinson (Boiling Point), gives a spellbinding performance as the narrator of Wuthering Heights. One of Brontë’s most loved novels Wuthering Heights stands as a timeless classic set against the haunting backdrop of the Yorkshire moors. Seen through the eyes of housekeeper Nelly Dean, at the heart of the novel beats the intense and destructive love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, whose passionate connection weaves a dark and tumultuous tale of revenge, obsession and the brutal forces of nature. Part filmed in Bradford, to coincide with next year’s Bradford 2025 UK city of Culture.

Vinette Robinson says: “This was actually my first encounter with Wuthering Heights. I was immediately drawn to the complicated and unflinching character of Cathy and her relationships; she is such a force of nature, she lives her life fiercely and passionately with all its complexities and compromises. The emotional landscape of those relationships feels just as recognisable now as it did when it was written and it was such a thrill to bring that to life. And of course I’m a Yorkshire lass, so I was very proud to read something so steeped in the place I was born and raised.”

The Express Tribune (Pakistan) lists "tortured, brooding period drama heroes to swoon over":

Heathcliff (Ralph Fiennes)

Long before he took on the role of Harry Potter’s nemesis, Ralph Fiennes set hearts pounding as he embodied Bronte’s embittered anti-hero, Heathcliff from Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. No woman in her right mind would ever want to be joined in matrimony to this obsessive, vindictive man. However, that same woman may temporarily slip out of her right mind upon espying Fiennes’ take on this tragic character. According to IMDb, Fiennes was so committed to staying true to Heathcliff that he insisted on banging his head against a tree for a scene, exactly like his literary counterpart. So committed was he that he ended up drawing blood, not that that stopped him. Whilst we do not at all endorse such questionable behaviour, it is difficult not to swoon before that tortured face and those haunted eyes. (Urooba Rasool)

The Liverpool Echo adds to the Haworth hype visiting the Main Street:

Home of the famous Brontë sisters, as you walk down Main Street, the heart of this chocolate-box village, you can't help but feel like you've stepped back in time as this area full of character. At this time of the year, Haworth also brings that extra bit of magic, with pumpkins, autumnal foliage and spooky animatronics decorating the village. (...)

Across the road, you'll also find The Treehouse Bar and Kitchen, a buzzing aesthetic bar with pizzas, hand pulled ales and lagers and live sports. A main attraction in Haworth is the Brontë Parsonage Museum, the former family home turned museum.

Maintained by the Brontë Society in honour of the Brontë sisters – Charlotte, Emily and Ann - this is a must-visit for literary lovers. In the gift shop, you can find their works and souvenirs, as well as other items in shops around the village. (Jess Molyneux)

ABC News (Australia) has a music quiz with a very easy question:

 2. Kate Bush had a hit song inspired by which 19th-century novel?

a Jane Eyre

b Pride and Prejudice

c A Tale of Two Cities

d Wuthering Height

Also in Australia, AussieThreatre reminds us of the upcoming Australian performances of Emma Rice's Wuthering Heights (January 2025):

Emma Rice’s critically acclaimed production of Wuthering Heights will play an exclusive and limited season in Sydney in 2025. A co-production with Wise Children, the National Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and York Theatre Royal, this adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic will open at the Ros Packer Theatre from January 31, 2025, for a strictly limited time. (...)

This very limited Australian season will mark the commencement of a South East Asian Tour for the production which will see the British company including many of the original London cast members returning to their roles.

Australian producer Liza McLean Director, Kay & McLean Productions:

I have always admired Emma’s groundbreaking work in the theatre, Wuthering Heights has already toured to great acclaim in the UK and USA. It’s a dream come true to have the opportunity to present this extraordinary production to Australian audiences as the premiere season of the 2025 South East Asian Tour.

This is local London discusses the GCSE English Literature Specification:

The GCSE English Literature Specification, studied by 14 -16 year olds across the country, is heavily focused on classic texts, such as Macbeth, An Inspector Calls, and Jane Eyre.

However, it has recently come under fire, with critics suggesting it is no longer representative of the interests and challenges faced in modern society. (Adwita Putta)

Mental Floss lists some obscure (not really) literary devices:

The Intrusive Narrator

Otherwise known as an omniscient narrator, this third-person storyteller is more than just a mere chronicler of events: They also editorialize, providing subjective insight into characters and situations. In Jane Eyre—ostensibly a first-person work—Charlotte Brontë interjects by describing details of a room or foreshadowing events and addressing the reader directly. (Jake Rossen)

The Yorkshire Post talks about East Riddlesden Hall:

Since then it has been in the care of the Trust and a very popular tourist attraction. It has also been used as a filming location for the 1992 film Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights starring Ralph Fiennes, the 2009 TV adaptation and was also used to film the 2020 ITV drama Anne Boleyn. (Liana Jacob)

Teatroecritica reviews the performances of Martina Badiluzzi's Cime Tempestose in Rome:

A Romaeuropa Festival il debutto di Cime Tempestose per la regia e la drammaturgia di Martina Badiluzzi. L’epica del romanzo vittoriano trasposta in dialogo sull’eredità emotiva di personaggi immortali eppure, forse, da uccidere. (...)

L’operazione di Martina Badiluzzi, in coda a un percorso drammaturgico sul femminile che spesso ha attraversato grandi personaggi e classici letterari per indagare il presente, in questa occasione attinge al romanzo vittoriano per riattraversarne i nuclei salienti tramite la voce dei due personaggi più giovani di questa grande saga familiare ante litteram. L’idea di esplorarne la pesante eredità emotiva è sulla carta efficace e potenzialmente deflagrante, utile a sviscerare gli intricati nodi di una storia di relazioni maledette, tossiche in senso moderno; esaminandone le ricadute da lontano, da un altro tempo, si può forse addirittura smascherare l’epica romantica dell’amore tra Catherine e Heathcliff, mettere una data di scadenza a certe ricorrenti letture dell’opera ormai fuori tempo massimo. (...)

È qui che Badiluzzi inserisce la scena più efficace dell’opera, stilisticamente distante dal resto: un momento metateatrale gustoso e ironico che coincide con l’unica invenzione del tutto esterna al romanzo, ovvero l’epica dell’origine, per definizione misteriosissima, di Heathcliff. Ne nasce un gioco scenico immaginifico ed evocativo, che offre a Pozzoli e De Luna un momento di espressione attoriale fin qui non ancora avuto. Ma quello che potrebbe essere anche un riscatto per i personaggi, una presa di parola sulla propria storia, un patto con il passato, manca questa opportunità. A favola finita, i due si ritrovano a ragionare sul proprio destino, nella stessa semi immobilità precedente, richiusi tra le stesse macerie e gli stessi pensieri. Perché siamo venuti in questa casa? Cosa speravamo di trovare?

La domanda resta aperta anche quando, con lo sguardo sull’orizzonte, Cathy ed Hareton si congedano da quella casa, da quella storia, senza averla davvero archiviata. (Sabrina Fasanella) (Translation)

Museums & Heritage reports the appointment of Lucy Powrie as its new Chair of the Board of Trustees. Check AnneBrontë.org's special Halloween post.