Wuthering Heights - Gate Theatre

Hi, can 't find any reviews of this - is that a bad sign?
Has anyone been to it - what are your impressions and would you recommend it ?

Squelchy

Previews since the 13th so maybe a little odd that there are no reviews yet.
I did see Anne-Marie Casey's adaptation of Little Women a few years ago; if it's as good as that I'd be happy enough.
Either way I've already bought me mam tickets as a Christmas present, so I have to go!

The_Morrigan

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/wuthering-heights-there-comes-a-point-when-you-have-to-put-the-book-down-1.2001151

First review this morning...It officially opened last night so there should be a few showing up in the next day or two.

The_Morrigan

The_Morrigan wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/wuthering-heights-there-comes-a-point-when-you-have-to-put-the-book-down-1.2001151

First review this morning...It officially opened last night so there should be a few showing up in the next day or two.

I saw that but it's not actually a review

The_Morrigan

glasso wrote: »

I saw that but it's not actually a review

Apologies....that's what I get for scrolling too fast on the mobile site, missed the change in heading.

review out now

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/review-wuthering-heights-1.2007425

3 stars (out of five I guess).

Went last night - had the tickets bought in advance of reviews. First half of play very disjointed altogether. This is mainly due to the fact that the first half is trying to set-up the story for the second half but as a result it has to introduce the story, pick various parts of the book to try to set the scene etc. This means that the first half is a mess. I noted that a few people didn't return after the interval. The second half is much better as at least it is coherent but overall I'd say give it a skip. Probably just too much of an ask to bring this book to the stage. Some of the casting was a bit hit-and-miss also.

odonnellb33

Went last night and thought it was enjoyable but only because I was familiar with the text- indeed nostalgia for leaving cert times was clearly evident in the room! I wonder however how enjoyable it would be for those not familiar with the text....

I was very disappointed with the whole thrushcross grange scenes- which should have provided a decadent contrast to the Moorish Wuthering heights ...indeed the lack of decadence in this scene leads to the disjointed aspect of Catherine's stay (for 6 weeks which wasnt reflected)and her return. On the plus heathcliff was superb and really well casted however I felt Catherine was quite one dimensional.
While I appreciate that such a complex text can't all be portrayed in a play, I missed the 2nd generation and their contrasts with the main protagonists.

woodchuck

I saw this earlier in the week and enjoyed it. I wasn't familiar with the story, never studied it in school, so I was a complete blank slate! I didn't find the story hard to follow at all though and it didn't feel disjointed to me. I really liked the visual effects in it. The acting was good, but I found Catherine a bit annoying (I wasn't sure if it was the actress or maybe just the character she plays!).

Hrududu

I thought the first act was a bit rushed, but the performances were good. My big problem was that it was yet another adaptation that chose to cut out the 2nd half of the book.

Squelchy

How long was this?

victorfeldman

i went to see this production as we had free tickets,,a gift,,,kate brennans acting as Cathy was school girl standard and her diction was abominable...i was 3 rows back from the stage and could hardly understand a word she was saying...great actors have finely tuned voices with pleasing tone....hers was similar to listening to a singer off key.....her acting was more akin to painting by numbers..........
while the irish know a good game from a bad...irish theatre audiences dont seem to know weather a play is good ..bad or indifferent...
as they will applaud anything....the bulk of this production was limp and energyless....in the first act i couldn't understand a word that heathcliff was uttering as he was grunting....so come on lets get real!!!!!!!!

woodchuck

victorfeldman wrote: »

i went to see this production as we had free tickets,,a gift,,,kate brennans acting as Cathy was school girl standard and her diction was abominable...i was 3 rows back from the stage and could hardly understand a word she was saying...great actors have finely tuned voices with pleasing tone....hers was similar to listening to a singer off key.....her acting was more akin to painting by numbers..........
while the irish know a good game from a bad...irish theatre audiences dont seem to know weather a play is good ..bad or indifferent...
as they will applaud anything....the bulk of this production was limp and energyless....in the first act i couldn't understand a word that heathcliff was uttering as he was grunting....so come on lets get real!!!!!!!!

Well it would be rude not to applaud at all :rolleyes:

The Catherine character/actress wasn't my favourite, but I didn't have any trouble understanding what she or any of the other actors were saying.

The_Morrigan

victorfeldman wrote: »

i went to see this production as we had free tickets,,a gift,,,kate brennans acting as Cathy was school girl standard and her diction was abominable...i was 3 rows back from the stage and could hardly understand a word she was saying...great actors have finely tuned voices with pleasing tone....hers was similar to listening to a singer off key.....her acting was more akin to painting by numbers..........
while the irish know a good game from a bad...irish theatre audiences dont seem to know weather a play is good ..bad or indifferent...
as they will applaud anything....the bulk of this production was limp and energyless....in the first act i couldn't understand a word that heathcliff was uttering as he was grunting....so come on lets get real!!!!!!!!

Actually I will not applaud if a production is bad nor will I join in with a standing ovation if it isn't warranted. Culture is a personal thing, what I enjoy you could hate and vice versa so from an entire audience you will have differing responses based on various factors.

victorfeldman

As an actor myself...i realise that a genuinely trained actor with a genuine talent will as a singer
be trained to finely tune his/hers voice....the part of catherine in Wuthering hights demanded great vocal range
which the given Catherine completely lacked...her diction was near non existent...and the grunting from heathcliff
was totally incomprehensible in the first half..
all the top uk companies have voice coaches...ie the Royal Shakespeare company and the British national theatre to mention a few...
it appears that the GATE and the ABBEY dont give voice coaching great prominence....
Start listening or viewing the Judy Denche's or the Kevin Branagh's to witness class....recently 3 independent experts were commissioned by the Arts council..to .assess the ABBEY THEATRE..They judged that 4 out of 12 plays at the ABBEY were deemed to be below professional standard
and 4 others were deemed to be just okay...and 2 were deemed to be very good.....and audiences here also clapped these plays
and the local critics praised them!!!!!!!
Theres a big difference between PAVOROTTI and a BATHROOM SINGER!!! To the trained ear!!!

victorfeldman

glasso wrote: »

Went last night - had the tickets bought in advance of reviews. First half of play very disjointed altogether. This is mainly due to the fact that the first half is trying to set-up the story for the second half but as a result it has to introduce the story, pick various parts of the book to try to set the scene etc. This means that the first half is a mess. I noted that a few people didn't return after the interval. The second half is much better as at least it is coherent but overall I'd say give it a skip. Probably just too much of an ask to bring this book to the stage. Some of the casting was a bit hit-and-miss also.

the diction from the two leads was non existent..Kate Brennan was in need of a vocal coach..
if i go to an opera i dont expect to hear tone deaf singers...this also should apply to the vocal range of actors...or maybe this english ear comes from another era...

victorfeldman

to the person whom asked me what i actually thought of this production....it was two hours
misspent ...the less said the better...

The_Morrigan

MOD Note
Ok Victor - we get the point you didn't like the production or the cast. One post would have been sufficient.

Thanks