Northanger Abbey

As Never Before

Northanger Abbey

by Zoe Cooper

Octagon Bolton, Stephen Joseph Theatre and Theatre by the Lake, at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond until 24^th February

Review by Viola Selby

I first read Northanger Abbey when I was eighteen and fell absolutely in love with Catherine.  However, after watching the many adaptions of Austen’s work, it has only been Zoe Cooper’s masterpiece, under the daringly refreshing direction of Tessa Walker, that has truly encapsulated the real meaning behind the writing for me. 

Through just three actors and a minimal set design, the audience are part of a performance by Catherine (known as Cath and played by Rebecca Banatvala), Henry Tilney (known as Hen and played by Sam Newton) and Isobel Thorpe (known as Iz and played by AK Golding) retelling Catherine’s story. 

Yet with Cath as the writer, we are swept up in a hilarious and occasionally dark gothic romance retelling – the way Cath wishes to see her life.  The laughs keep coming, through the electrifying chemistry all three actors have with one another.  They have their own individual talents of being able to portray a multitude of characters with clear distinctions between each one and each personality, and their motives are carefully and compassionately considered.  The care goes right down to their different and exemplary regional accents (competently coached by the Deborah Garvey).  This gives the whole performance depth and makes each scene feel as if the stage is filled with cast members.

For example, AK Golding absolutely astounds as, in one scene, she portrays a single conversation between General Tilney and John Thorpe being recollected by Iz, all by herself.  Equally, Sam Newton manages to go effortlessly between being Cath’s mother in full labour, which has to be one of the funniest scenes and one where Newton shows just how painful such an event is; then to the seemingly sad and often awkward Hen, the rambunctious, and speed and horse obsessed John Thorpe; or to Henry Tilney’s sister, who through Newton’s portrayal manages to make any scene she is in eerie and unsettlingly funny.

The minimalist set design and use of props, all creatively designed by Hannah Sibai, also helps with the hilarity of the whole performance as well as the depiction of this as a play within a play, encouraging the audience to focus more on the actors and use of their imagination just like Catherine does.  For instance, a table and a few trunk-like boxes are used to great effect, depicting a carriage then a bed, with Newton banging the table and saying how comfy it is.  This one action brought the whole audience to burst out laughing; whist great gasps could be heard when Cath and John Thorpe were thrown off their ‘carriage’ when it overturned suddenly in a different scene.  This scene’s movements were excellently choreographed by Jonnie Riordan, to make it so much more dramatic and captured in slow motion.  Movement director Riordan’s work greatly helped increase the playfulness and the smooth flow throughout the play.   There are also a few chandeliers which not only look period perfect but also, through the lighting mastery of Matt Haskins, manage to set the atmosphere and tone of each scene, particularly the gothic eeriness of Northanger Abbey at night.  This is then added to by the superlative sound design of Holly Khan whose rough wind and rain noises envelope the audience so that they really feel they are in Cath’s bedchamber.

In addition to this comedy, through Cath, Hen and Iz’s interjections and of certain events that happened but that Cath may have not wanted to have been part of her gothic story, the preconceptions the audience may have had of this play are challenged and we are kept on our toes with what will happen next. 

Through the intense relationship between Cath and Iz and the impact of the prejudices of society, profoundly and passionately portrayed by both Banatvala and Golding, we get to see all is not as it appears.  Hence, it seems we are not watching a gothic romance, but a girl growing up and through her so-called faults and through life events and mistakes she makes, often through bringing fiction into her reality, finding and accepting her true self.

This character arch and the realism of it is made so relatable by the emotive and faultless understanding Banatvala has for her characterisation of Cath, she truly depicts a girl coming to the understanding she does not have to be a romantic heroine.  She shows the true joy and happiness that can be found, as Cath says, ‘in the imperfect felicity of it all’.

Through the outstanding work of cast and crew, Cooper’s adaptation has not, only modernised Northanger Abbey to interest today’s audiences, but has also made it an essential watch for all and has reminded me of why I love this novel, finding myself ‘between the pages of a book’.

Viola Selby, January 2024

Photography by Pamela Raith