Last week I saw a particularly good adaptation of Emily Bronte's novel "Wuthering Heights" given by the Walmsley Church Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society. Having read the book and seen the film many years ago, I was on familiar ground, and once again I was held in the grip of the hopeless love story of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. Edith Bond's production was sincere and well acted by practically every member of the cast, and the settings and effects added much to the general presentation.
Frank Woolley as Heathcliff and Myra Crompton as Catherine explored a wide range of emotions, and gave commendable performances, but both tended to become inarticulate in the more dramatic exchanges. John Hacking has a good stage presence and was well cast as Hindley Earnshaw.
Joyce Thomson and Edna Taylor alos acted well, and Reginald Crompton's portrayal of the sanctimonious Joseph would have been much improved if he had not made his lines unintelligible for the most part, although his make-up was excellent. Other roles were played with conviction by Kenneth Widdowson, Susan Bellis and Michael Greenhalgh, and Athol Hughes and Peer Hudson completed the cast.
