Northanger Abbey? I hardly know ‘er! Zoe Cooper’s transformative adaptation of Austen’s offbeat gothic satire reinvents the much-neglected classic, leaning into its absurd humor, and imbuing it with a novel gravitas. Eschewing the modernizing impulse that so often muddies queer retellings of canonical works, this adaptation remains firmly rooted in the time and place of its origin and weaves a compelling original story out of each of the book’s special strands. This play packs a punch but doesn’t quite hit the spot.
Designer Hannah Sibai’s work makes a most pleasing first impression. The cozy in-the-round Orange Tree Theatre is decked out in all hot pink and bedazzled with no less than seven chandeliers. A light aroma of fog pervades the space, hinting at the gothic vibes to come in the later act (where Sibai’s design really slays) but remains light, airy, and unoppressive for the show’s opening. When Cath (Rebecca Banatvala) enters the playing space she immediately seems right at home. Her costume and styling are impeccable down to the dainty necklace and just appropriately, precisely, besmirched petticoat that lies underneath her pretty blue dress. Despite near constant costume quick changes there is not a single visual misstep, and much can be found on stage to delight. When, in the play’s opening scene, depicting Catherine Morland’s birth, a divan cushion shoots out from the expectant mother, Sibai’s design, Cooper’s script, and Jonnie Riordan’s movement direction sing in perfect harmony. Riordan’s work remains exquisite throughout and is particularly engaging in Banatvala and Sam Newton’s stylized depiction of a violent carriage crash.
Each actor gets ample opportunities to scintillate and AK Golding particularly stuns in Iz’s gender bent moments, making a military jacket and red cravat seem the perfect accessories to a bright yellow ball gown. It is in these overtly queered moments the production most finds its footing. Sound Designer and Composer, Holly Khan, scores a particularly charged moment with the very well picked “Rebel Girl” by American punk band Bikini Kill. Exiting the theatre to Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” felt similarly right, but the majority of the show’s score felt disappointingly conventional. In such an intimate performance space with such an explosive script, piped in recordings of orchestral tunes fall a little flat. When every other sound effect is diegetic, the absence of musical performers is especially evident in the play’s ballroom set scenes, which struggled to sufficiently fill space visually or sonically.
Director Tessa Walker’s competence is evident in the show’s technical precision but much like the disappointingly unhaunted abbey itself, this production lacks spirit. Each performer is strong enough to manage the heavy lifting required of a three-person cast but their effort is apparent and the lack of easy chemistry between them makes the show less of a rapturous delight than it by all rights should be. Shifts between characters are clear and convincing but there never seems a sufficient amount of playfulness in the game. Villains appear and disappear too fleetingly to convey genuine menace and even the campiest of characters, such as Newton’s Eleanor, who seems conceived as a cross between Judith Anderson’s Mrs. Danvers and Marty Feldman’s Igor is disappointingly underplayed.
An earnest and occasionally moving romp, favoring brashness over boldness, Northanger Abbey manages to be outrageous but falls just short of hilarious.
Playing until 24th February, https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/northanger-abbey/
Reviewer: Kira Daniels
Reviewed: 26th January 2024
North West End UK Rating: