“Every man is fighting his own battle…” – Celebrating men’s health month, Movember, at the International School of Lausanne
Taking on a stage production of any revered novel in the literary canon is a challenge; bringing the unutterable darkness and wild brutality of the characters and landscapes of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights to life on the stage is an even more daunting prospect. For the cast and crew of the International School of Lausanne’s Performing Arts After-School Activities (ASA), it was a challenge met with passion, dedication, and spirit. Months of rehearsing culminated in two productions at the end of November, with the show’s audiences gripped by the cast’s committed performances and the powerfully atmospheric sound and lighting effects. Read on to discover why “Wuthering Heights” is a particularly difficult story to dramatize, and to share the cast’s insights on the experience.
Often vaunted as the great love story between Catherine Earnshaw and the tortured anti-hero, Heathcliff, anyone picking up Emily Brontë’s literary classic, Wuthering Heights, for the first time expecting to fall in love with the central characters, is doomed to disappointment. Catherine is a brat. Heathcliff is horrible. (But, significantly, also darkly, broodingly, handsome.) Today, we’d describe – as Samantha Ellis does, in her drolly self-deprecating testimony in The Telegraph, “How Heathcliff ruined my love life” – their mutual obsession as toxic.
Critics agree that Wuthering Heights, whilst generally acknowledged to be a literary masterpiece, is not necessarily a book that one falls in love with:
“Wuthering Heights is an extraordinary book. It is a very bad one. It is a very fine one. It is ugly. It has beauty. It is a terrible, an agonizing, a passionate book.” (W. Somerset Maugham)
“Wuthering Heights is a strange novel in a lot of ways. It’s a standalone—there’s not really another book like it.” Claire Jarvis
“And of Wuthering Heights I can only say that it is a staggering literary accomplishment that I would be quite happy to never read again.” – Constance Grady
So why is Wuthering Heights, if we put to one side the rose-tinted gloss of certain abridged film adaptations, such as the classic Laurence Olivier 1939 film (which rolls the closing credits with the death of Cathy, neatly omitting the less romantic plot detail of Heathcliff becoming a vengeful, sadistic abuser), such a bleak story to immerse oneself in? The title provides some revealing symbolism. While “Wuthering Heights” refers to the home of Cathy and Heathcliff, we discover in Brontë’s narrative that “wuthering” is the name given to the atmospheric tumult to which the house’s station is exposed in stormy weather. And the novel itself is all tumult and storm. It is much less a love story, and much more a graphic, visceral, deeply disturbing study of abuse.
Whilst Brontë’s evocation of the supernatural enhances the novel’s gothic other-worldliness, her representation of the cyclical nature of abuse is very much akin to our real world. Her powerful portrayals of domestic violence, written over two hundred years ago, do not describe an issue now relegated to humanity’s past. And it is for this reason that the International School of Lausanne’s cast deserve such recognition for their brave and committed performances. To immerse oneself, whether in the soul of an abuser, or in the soul of the abused, is hard. The fleeting moments of levity and humour that the young cast brought to occasional moments in the action were welcome light relief in the otherwise unrelenting dark world of Wuthering Heights.
Yet the author’s own sister, author Charlotte Brontë, recognised the humanity and hope amidst the suffering and brutalised behaviour of the characters, writing in the novel’s 1850 preface:
“Having avowed that over much of ‘Wuthering Heights’, there broods ‘a horror of great darkness’; that, in its storm-heated and electrical atmosphere, we seem at times to breathe lightning: let me point to those spots where clouded daylight and the eclipsed sun still attest their existence.
“For a specimen of true benevolence and homely fidelity, look at the character of Nelly Dean; for an example of constancy and tenderness, remark that of Edgar Linton.
“Some people will think these qualities do not shine so well incarnate in a man as they would do in a woman, but (Emily Brontë) could never be brought to comprehend this notion: nothing moved her more than any insinuation that the faithfulness and clemency, the longsuffering and loving-kindness which are esteemed virtues in the daughters of Eve, become foibles in the sons of Adam.”
This sense of hope and humanity was not only seen in the warmth and compassion of some of the play’s characters, but in a short speech made by Divya (Year 13) to the play’s audience following the final curtain call.
Speaking on behalf of the cast, Divya explained their desire to emphasise the importance of bringing attention to issues of domestic abuse and the generational trauma it creates; on the play’s programme, a link was provided to Victim Support Switzerland, a source of tangible help for anyone in the audience triggered by the play’s themes.
Domestic abuse mainly happens out of sight, behind closed doors. By staging a dramatic production that performed scenes of violence with flinty realism, the students of the International School of Lausanne flung a light over a horror that usually lurks in the shadows, starting conversations and reminding anyone affected that there are places to turn for help. It was an important and inspirational production, and the International School of Lausanne is proud of everyone involved.
And so what did the cast and crew themselves have to say about the opportunity to bring a revered literary classic to life on stage? Read on for insights into the experience by some of the International School of Lausanne students and teaching team involved.
“One thing that I learned from the performance was about how it is vital to not judge a book by its cover. In this case, the families in the story from an outsider’s perspective may seem great: they have money, kids, and to what some may be a perfect life. However, Wuthering Heights really made me realise that even though something may appear a certain way, it does not say anything about the reality. For example, in Wuthering Heights, the family dynamics couldn’t have been more messed up, but if you didn’t take the time to understand and really get to know the characters, you would simply not realize because it requires extra attention and interest. So my point is that in real life, don’t judge people by their status, jobs, or what their family appears to be, because there might be something else going on that you might not see.
“For me, one of my biggest highlights of taking part in this performance was not only being able to hang out with friends and make new friends out of the cast, but also learning so much about a theatre world that I had not yet explored. I think Wuthering Heights discusses themes that are still extremely relevant in today’s society, particularly domestic abuse. At times it can be hard to understand how and who exactly is being affected by these issues. However, seeing it from such an anecdotal point of view really gave me insight into this sensitive and relevant issue.” – Jaime (Year 13 – “Mr Edgar”)
“I played both Frances and Cathy in Wuthering Heights, so I had the wonderful opportunity of acting alongside both the characters in Act 1 and Act 2. The most exciting scene I was a part of was Heathcliff’s ‘Consent to tea!’, where he lures the cousins into a locked house and slaps young Cathy.
“It’s amazing to see Wuthering Heights come to life on stage – not only was it a memorable experience to be a part of the acting, but it was beautiful to see the set, lighting and costumes come together. While it is a story with heavy and dark themes, I thought our final performance also portrayed it as vibrant and moving.” – Divya (Year 13 – “Francis” and “Cathy”)
“For the High School play, Wuthering Heights, I was part of the technical team and was doing lighting design. Personally, the highlight for every play and production I help with is the feeling of accomplishment after the final night of the event; and during the play, when we get to hear people laugh and see them enjoying the production, and hearing them clap at the end.
“For this particular play another highlight is the way in which the light on the riser in the back was placed in order for it to look like a window, as in the second act when Heathcliff has his monologue about Catherine and says the part about having his hand frozen on her cheek, we managed to create a beautiful visual effect that was also beautifully captured on camera, from the recordings I saw.
“I believe that my biggest takeaway is that we should be mindful of our actions and choices, as they could have a big impact on not only us, but lots of people in our lives, and that when it comes to love, we shouldn’t love someone because of their wealth, looks or power, as those are things that can easily change, and instead love their personality, and make more meaningful connections.
“I want to give a shout-out to all of the tech team for their efforts and dedication, and a very big thank you to Mr. Capes, for all the work he puts in in order to make sure that the play turns out great, and for spending time teaching us these skills and being so patient and understanding. I would also like to thank the cast for their great performances and Mr. Wallace for directing the show, as after all there would be none without them.” – Iulia (Year 11 – Auditorium Tech & Backstage Team)
“I think with all productions, you create such a great community that gets you through all the tough rehearsals. It’s such a bizarre limbo state to be in as most of these people you never talk to but suddenly you’re thrust together for hours and even days at a time. Nevertheless, I do think this is one of my highlights as it forces you to create relationships with people you wouldn’t usually spend time with.
“An an actor, obviously I have to mention the iconic “He’s more myself than I am” scene, as it’s probably the most famous line from the book. I felt a lot of pressure trying to act out such an iconic line because everyone has their own idea as to how it should be performed, and you can never get it right for everyone. It was, however, my favourite scene, as I got to explore a very vulnerable side of acting which I’m usually not accustomed to.” – Alice (Year 13 – “Catherine”)
“In terms of thanks and ‘shout outs’, the obvious ones from an ASA perspective, are Mr Wallace and Mr Capes. I first saw the early days of rehearsing under the trees in the garden, reading lines together and having fun. It culminated in a wonderful performance on a night where the weather suited the themes. The effort and time that Mr Capes and Mr Wallace put in to bringing this performance to life is commendable.” – Mr Wislang (Head of Activities and Sports; Designated Safeguarding Lead)
“Wuthering Heights is an intimidating text to adapt to the stage, but the students did an exceptional job trusting the process. They supported one another and fully committed to bringing the gothic atmosphere to life. This was an exceptionally fun production to direct, and I am grateful to everyone involved. It has been a pleasure to work with such committed performers and creators.” – Mr Wallace (Year 13 Level Leader, Teacher of English, Teacher of Theatre, and Director of “Wuthering Heights”)
WUTHERING HEIGHTS: A PHOTO GALLERY
Please note that the video of the performance will be published here after Christmas.
