Ben Laird Arts & Photography

Elinor Holt as Mrs. Danvers and Arielle Rombough as Mrs. De Winter in Vertigo Mystery Theatre’s production of Rebecca.

DETAILS

Rebecca presented by Vertigo Theatre
Vertigo Theatre
Saturday, May 1 - Sunday, May 23

More in: Theatre

Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 novel, Rebecca, opens with these famous lines: “Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” For Vertigo Mystery Theatre’s final show of its season, artistic director Mark Bellamy has made the enigmatic, haunting world of Manderley come alive with Clifford Williams’s adaptation, which he based on du Maurier’s own stage adaptation of the novel.

Presumably, the story of Rebecca is familiar to many audience members, particularly those of a certain vintage. The novel is extremely famous, and Alfred Hitchcock directed a film version in 1940 starring Joan Fontaine and a brooding Laurence Olivier. The film went on to win an Oscar for best picture. So, much of the interest in Vertigo’s production likely centres on how director Bellamy and the cast manage to make this mystery classic come alive onstage. For the most part, they admirably succeed.

Scott Reid’s elegant set, featuring a grand, curving staircase, and Andrew Blizzard’s original compositions, sprinkled judiciously throughout the show, lend an air of grandeur to the production that reminds the audience of the sophisticated circles in which the play takes place.

At the heart of the story are Maxim de Winter (Trevor Leigh) and his young bride (Arielle Rombough), whom the audience knows only as Mrs. de Winter. They married, seemingly impetuously, while on the continent. The play’s action begins as Maxim returns to his English estate, Manderley, with his young wife in tow. She soon discovers he harbours deep secrets about his past, particularly concerning his beautiful late wife, Rebecca, whose presence still dominates the house. Ensuring that Rebecca’s memory reigns supreme is Manderley’s housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Elinor Holt), who has a pathological obsession with her late mistress. Gradually, Mrs. Danvers, coupled with Maxim’s ignorance of his wife’s position, undermines what little confidence the new Mrs. de Winter has, and she becomes trapped in a web of her own misperceptions. That is, until the secrets that haunt Maxim are finally discovered.

Rounding out the cast are Maxim’s well-meaning but tactless sister Beatrice (Iam Coulter); her husband, Giles (Christopher Hunt); Maxim’s loyal friend, Frank Crawley (Paul Cowling); and Rebecca’s charming, reprobate cousin, Jack Favell (Kevin Rothery).

Rebecca is a dialogue-heavy play with a distinctly British flavour. I have seen another theatre company stage this same adaptation, so I approached Vertigo’s production with some trepidation. The last time I saw this play, it dragged on interminably. Thankfully, that’s not the case with Vertigo’s presentation. Bellamy and cast keep the pace of the show moving and the dialogue swiftly flowing.

Every character that crosses the stage is distinct and well-developed. The supporting cast, in particular, offers some excellent performances, from Greg Spielman as Frith the butler, to the wonderfully effortless and natural Brian Gromoff as Col. Julyan. Coulter is perfect as the chatty, likable Beatrice, and she and Hunt add a humorous and friendly touch to the show, as does Rothery with Favell’s caddish ways. Holt is the picture of sly malevolence, and Rombough is so effective as the timid, self-effacing, frightened little wife that, as an audience member, you get so frustrated you want to climb onstage and tell her to stand up for herself.

The only thing this production lacks is any sense of chemistry between Leigh and Rombough. In one scene, Mrs. de Winter reflects that people must wonder what Maxim sees in her. Watching this show, you want to ask her: What can you possibly see in Maxim? Leigh delivers an impassioned performance as Maxim, but it seems to be one dominated by anger, especially since he delivers many of his lines at high volume. While the play calls for him to be wrapped up in his own demons, and unaware of the psychological stresses of his wife, perhaps Leigh could drop a few hints as to another (gentler? quieter?) side to Maxim that would make the relationship seem more plausible.

Rebecca is a deliciously atmospheric play, and Vertigo does du Maurier’s story justice. If you are already a fan, then you won’t be disappointed with this production. If you’re new to the mystery-psychological thriller genre, Rebecca will serve as a perfect introduction.