The Moors

Like emerging from a fever dream, people might leave wondering what on earth they have just watched. Yet again from the Millenium Players what we see here is a director not content with the usual fayre, so seeks out challenging plays – both to stage and try to gain an audience for. Tom Messmer is a director who wants to bring theatre to Sussex which normally doesn’t venture into the rural village scene: which is simultaneously brave and inspiring. Here is a director who would rather bring great theatre to a small audience rather than the same old stories to a handful more. How truly wonderful to find a company backing such a theatre maker, who not only wants to bring unusual pieces to the stage but who also has a singular talent for delivering such pieces with verve and vision. 

The Moors curiously is two narratives unfolding in parallel, both against the backdrop of the bleakness and power of the moors surrounding them. Inspired by the stories of the Brontës, the homages here are evident in the mysteriously absent character of Branwell and the visiting governess named Emily (spelled Emilie in the play). This weaves together aspects of all three sisters’ imaginings: a mysterious person in the attic, the alcoholic womaniser, and deeply passionate love. The gothic elements echoed through the set: the black skull, the eerie blue light coming through the window, the stylised dead bird paintings on the walls and the brilliant idea of the portrait of Edgar Allen Poe as the father. Even the aspect of the room, the vanishing point going off slightly upstage right, felt disquieting. In front of the stage was an area of moorland which was juxtaposed with the stage as wonderfully symmetrical, green and natural, giving layers and heights and definition on right and left. This was a beautiful contrast to the on stage room that stayed the same, no matter what room they found themselves in, as was frequently pointed out. 

What’s a little bizarre is how this new story still has a flavour of Brontë and the dark gothic. You can feel that it is related to that world, with the sublime soundscaping of underscore or moor sounds such as wind, and the added fog. Yet the characters have aspects of dry dark humour which feels more aligned with The League of Gentlemen or even Monty Python in some parts. This is a text that can be taken on many levels, from the quite bonkers to the academic essay. Jen Silverman’s work has been very well respected in this adaptation, which has moments of hilarity but also the deeply dark. One gorgeous touch is that the pre show and interval have a recitation of some of Charlotte Bronte’s letters, which is available on request. 

The actors all looked so comfortable with the often uncomfortable nature of their characters. Their ease and teamwork was evident, as was their generosity on the stage. Alison Finch led the household as the highly manipulative Agatha, relishing moments where she wrongfooted those around her, using their moments of shock or discomfort to her advantage, channelling a little of Mrs Danvers eeriness in her gothic portrayal. Into the bizarre family situation walked Ashleigh Harris as Emilie the governess hired for a purpose she isn’t aware of. She played this so well, discovering the secrets of what she was there for at the same time as audience in some shocking moments. Yet the portrayal of being drawn into the passion she craves, even when it’s not coming from the direction she thought it was, was so believable. The power play between these two was beautifully delivered, and the switch scene, where suddenly Emilie was in charge, was intense and gripping. Chloe Franks played the ever adapting maid Mallory – or Marjorie – or Valerie – so well, often being a comic relief on stage with cough interruptions or blunt asides. 

Laura Windsor had a very tricky job playing Huldey, as the seemingly innocently barmy younger sister, changing moods on a hairpin. She was completely believable in this bonkers role which held an undercurrent of nasty and really very disturbed occasionally bubbling to the surface. She is the type of character often passed off as harmless but really is anything but. Laura played this knife edge emotional arc incredibly well, showing us a perhaps disturbed individual that is actually dangerously psychotic rather than just batty. The song scene was as funny as it was disturbing. What’s fascinating here is that this storyline is very much out of the Brontë world: dark and gothic, yet the parallel running story of Mastiff and Moorhen is timeless, and would be equally relevant to any period it’s shown in. 

Emma Messmer was so cute as the little Moorhen: innocent, very present, and needing strange words explained to her. She played this so well, playing each moment without anticipating. The fear was real, the self preservation at the beginning, and the wariness, and the slow learning to trust. Jack Jackson-Humphrey's Mastiff was outstanding: a gripping and compelling watch from the start: feeling everything so deeply, with nobody to connect to. The relationship between them goes from innocence to sweet to very quickly needy and restrictive, moving towards controlling and coercive control. The projection Mastiff poured onto Moorhen: about feelings being those of love, whereas it was really about seeking connection and being heard, being witnessed; was a very uncomfortable, if completely gripping, watch. It’s one of the best examples of unhealed trauma bonding and controlling relationships ever described in a play, and how odd then to find that this most human of all the things in the play, happens to two animals in the story. 

The whole production team have excelled in this show, including all the sound scaping: Tom Messmer, Emma Messmer, Amelie Roberts; and the musical arrangements for the two songs in the play by James Edwards. Makeup by Bea Campbell was another strength: true gothic for Agatha, and the hint of shaping on Mastiff’s face; as well as the glorious special effects. The costumes are yet another strength: each of the three women of the house dressed showing their personality, from restrained black to lovely lilac to functional for her job. The feathers on the Moorhen and the yellow boots and tights worked so very well, plus Jack’s patched coat when he was out on the moor. 

Such a stunning production, deeply disturbing and thought provoking: one that will stay with the audience for a long time after the final curtain. Hugest congratulations to everyone involved in this on stage or behind the scenes: their commitment to all the details has paid off wonderfully. 

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