The world premiere of Jacqueline Firkins’ adaptation of Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by the UBC Theatre and Film was fantastic performance of a timeless tale about feminism and love (so often at odds with each other) that told the story of a woman on the run from her past as she begins a new life at the decrepit and eerie Wildfell Hall.
An almost entirely bare, angled wood stage provided an interesting contrast with the elaborate and varied costuming, which gloriously ranged from poofy leg ‘o mutton sleeves, lace collars, tail coats, expansive bonnets, and a variety of accessories. The marriage of the stark modernity of the set and the ornateness of the costumes gave a sense of disjointedness, while also managing to evoke a cold Victorian atmosphere.
I had the misfortune to be previewing the play on what happened to be “high school night”, and so had the honour of seeing the play performed for the rudest, most obnoxious audience I have ever had the displeasure of being in attendance with. That being said, the fact that I found the play extremely well-acted even in the face of several adversities, including inappropriate laughter, heckling, and general disregard entirely for the hard work of the cast and crew, speaks to the high level of professionalism on the stage.
While I was very disappointed at the reactions from the predominantly juvenile audience on the whole, there were some frustrating moments that said a lot in about the heavy material of the play. On the lighter side, the comedic moments were very well received: the excessively boisterous laughter of the audience was undiminished, even when the context of the same established jokes shifted, becoming distinctly dark. The unchanged reactions to the changed humor helped expose the uncomfortable subject matter at the expense of the jokes: the duty of a woman’s place as subordinate to man, what it means to be a good person versus a good Christian, and the excruciating inability of characters to control the world around them.
In a much more dreary realization, the lack of serious response from that same unengaged audience to the troublesome issues on the stage was enlightening: Helen Graham, the main heroine of the play, is identified as a believer of “strange” ideas – such as the concept that women should be equal to men. Helen repeatedly being shut down, shut out, generally barred from power and made a victim at the hands of the patriarchy was met, much to my dismay and discomfort, with laughter.
Now, keeping in mind that the audience was primarily high school students, whom I must assume were forced against their will to attend – that is the only explanation in my mind for their despicable behaviour – perhaps I am placing too much stock in the audience’s reception of the play. But the fact that this play is based on a period novel (written in a time when the female author chose to publish under a male pseudonym for the sake of viability), which deals with what are supposed to be outdated struggles for equality and feminism, may still be met by modern audiences with laughter. The problems Helen faces in the play, of being demeaned and suppressed because of her sex, prove to be no less relevant and important on the contemporary stage than in the time of Brontë herself.
Great performances, interesting set design, gorgeously elaborate costuming and incredible professionalism together made for a thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking experience that was ultimately well worth the viewing.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall runs from October 2-17 at the Frederick Wood Theatre. You can purchase tickets online, or in person at the box office.