The Brontës of Dunwich Heath and Cliff (Ipswich)

In previous years, the creative team at Eastern Angles have lampooned many literary figures such as Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, as well as whole genres such as sci-fi in their shows for those audiences that want something different.

This year the satirical target is the Brontës' distant Suffolk cousins, who wish to ape their northern relatives when it comes to literary success and eventful living. Regular audiences have enjoyed the mocking of these genres combined with the timely and local nature of the comedy, but this year, while there were some excellent one-liners, none of the comedy seems to have a decent dramatic base.

The Brontës of Dunwich Heath and Cliff seems to be a disjointed set of sketches threaded together to make a story. At times, the production feels like a stream of consciousness on Brontë-related subjects, with the Kate Bush "Wuthering Heights" musical refrain making many appearances. At one point we have Cliff Richard auditioning for "Heathcliff".

The compact cast of this production work well together as an ensemble, but a sense of verve was missing at the preview performance I saw. However, there are many highlights: Cameron Johnson, as well as having the biggest presence on stage, also garners many laughs in his portrayal as the creole Mrs Rochester. Sophie Reid captures the wayward spirit of Cathy both in song and in person and Laura Corbett gives a solid performance as Plain Jane Brontë.

Credit should also be given to the set constructors, who have designed a simple, effective and versatile setting and also come up with some inventive touches, such as the doll-sized hang-gliders which Sir Fred (Cameron Johnson) and Reid wear in one episode of the story.

As previous Eastern Angles productions have proved, this creative team does have the talent and the delivery to give an alternative festive treat. However, this year, it seems that the ingredients of this Christmas pudding have not come together as well as in previous years and while there are momentary laughs and the effort is to be appreciated, it is not quite there.

– Wilf Arasaratnam