Underdog: The Other Other Brontë

“Underdog” is an irreverent retelling of the lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë, a story of the sibling rivalry between three sisters striving to succeed in a male-dominated world.  Contemporary accounts of the sisters’ lives, notably Elizabeth Gaskell’s biography of Charlotte, are acknowledged, but the emphasis here is on an informed imagining of the intra-familial relationships.  The women’s love and support for each other is frequently in tension with their ambition and competitive spirit, as all three seek to challenge Victorian societal norms about the proper role of women in society.  There’s also a contemporary feminist spin to the writing, and the play’s modern viewpoint is emphasised by the strong language employed throughout.

Charlotte is undeniably the dominant personality, but the title character is the youngest sister, Anne.  The uneven success of the siblings’ early literary ventures certainly brought its own difficulties: Emily’s only novel, “Wuthering Heights”, and Anne’s “Agnes Grey” were published more or less simultaneously, even as Charlotte was still receiving rejection slips for her early work “The Professor”.  To what extent did rivalry spill over into jealousy and bitterness?  Charlotte’s decision not to reprint “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” after Anne’s death certainly felt vindictive, but the production ensured the question of whether Charlotte was acting to protect Anne’s legacy or to promote her own at least remained open.

Each of the three principal actors really inhabited their roles and delivered admirably accomplished performances.  They knew their lines well and delivered them persuasively, with phrases well shaped and just the right amount of tonal and dynamic variation.  Consistent Yorkshire accents were maintained throughout, without ever descending into parody or pastiche.  What was most impressive was the way in which the sisters interacted with each other: dialogue was well paced with cues generally picked up sharply, and in some conversations the siblings were effectively completing each other’s sentences.  When the sisterhood was close their mutual love and support was manifested in their behaviours, such as the stroking of each other’s hair: I also really liked the way in which the characters occasionally sat on the floor or even sprawled on the ground, very real and relaxed behaviours associated with secure settings, but rarely seen on stage.

The three principals were supported by a small ensemble who swapped efficiently between generic and specific roles.  The criss-crossing critics were especially effective, as the movement reinforced the suspicion that an isolated opinion, even before the days of social media, could be picked up, repeated, and become a universal view.  When Anne was interviewed for a governess role her putative employer, Mrs Ingham, led her backwards and forwards along seemingly endless corridors while setting out her expectations.  Mrs Ingham’s long monologue could easily have become a tedious list of demands but in fact provided a fascinating commentary on rank and status in mid-19th century England, with particular reference to the established patrimony.  The imaginative and effective staging conveyed the chasm in class between employer and employee, the size of the house, and Mrs Ingham’s attitude towards her perceived social inferiors.

The play stands or falls by the quality of the performances, and the three principal actors delivered engaging portrayals of the Brontë sisters, and their determination to be recognised in the male dominated world of 19th century literary London.  It was sobering to be reminded that the Brontës achieved recognition only when they adopted male pseudonyms, and that they struggled to have their writing judged as “the work of an author, not of a woman”.  It’s an important tale which still needs to be told, and there were moments when the intensity of the story-telling meant that you could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium.  This was another high-quality, thought-provoking presentation from the Banbury Cross Players.

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.