I'll admit that I wasn't sure about going to see this. I've never read the book or seen any of the television or film adaptations, but of course I kind of knew the basic plot as it is quite an infamous tale. My concern really was whether it would seem a bit too voyeuristic as a piece of theatre. It is rarely done on stage, and I did read about a production a few years ago that was comprised of a lot of nudity. I had a seat in the front row as well.
Based on the book by D.H. Lawrence, this Tilted Wig Production has been adapted and directed by Ciaran McConville. The basic story is that Lord Chatterley has returned home from the war, paralysed and in a wheelchair, to his young wife Constance. Due to a lack of intimacy between them, they grow apart and Lady Chatterley finds comfort in the arms of the gamekeeper Oliver Mellors.
For this production they have chosen to set everything around the Great War, which works surprising well. The set is a World War I trench, which then also is used as Wragby Hall and the Gamekeeper's cottage. The soldiers from Lord Chatterley's command, who were killed in the war, appear as ghosts, but also as narrators of the story, something which works to brilliant effect.
Casting has been wonderfully done. Mark Hawkins plays the wheelchair bound Lord Chatterley. He is very good at giving us the torment and anguish of the suffering husband. Rupert Hill plays the Oliver Mellors, channelling full Sean Bean mode, to give us the gruff gamekeeper, with another standout performance. The relative newcomer Phoebe Marshall lights up the stage as Lady Constance Chatterley, and gives a wonderful performance. The rest of the cast is made up of four actors, Bethan Nash, Tom Richardson, Daniel Goode and Guy Dennys. They each play multiple roles, and should be given some kind of award for the amount of costume changes they go through in a single night. They are all particularly good at these changing roles, showing us completely different characters.
So the actual production then. I thought it was excellent. They wasn't any nudity, yes there were sex scenes and talking about sex scenes but the sex scenes weren't over the top though, very tasteful in the most part and not pornographic. There is a suggested age of 14+. The play, to my mind, was actually more about the class divide than anything else. It seems that the problem most of the characters had with Lady Chatterley isn't what she's doing, but the fact that it is a servant she's doing it with. And I think that theme is still partially as true now as it was when D.H. Lawrence wrote the book.
The play has only just started it's tour of the country and continues until April 23rd, so please check their website and see if it's visiting a venue near you. It is well worth seeing. It's a great adaptation with some great acting.
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