Reviews

Withering Looks (Hull)

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1 December 2011

It may have been as bleak as the last night of November on the North Yorkshire Moors outside but the one hundred or so souls who braved the winter weather were treated to a wonderful evening of merriment and mirth by this hysterical and somewhat “sideways” look at the work and lives of the Bronte sisters.

Think Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in drag, Hinge and Bracket, Dame Edna Everidge, Hilda Baker and a bit of Music Hall mixed in with a script that could have been written by Ernie Wise for the Morecombe and Wise Christmas Special and you are getting close to how refreshingly funny Withering Looks is. This is the Bronte Sisters story made easy, with more belly laughs than deaths.

Only two of the famous 19th Century sisters appeared on stage, Charlotte and Emily, superbly performed and narrated by Sue Ryding and Maggie Fox, the missing sister, Anne, never appeared because of “government cut-backs”.

The actors seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as the very appreciative audience who simply lapped it up. I have never heard so much prolonged laughter at Truck in my life; very infectious, very entertaining.

Multiple of “withering looks” left the audience falling about laughing just at the facial expressions of these two very funny ladies.

Better than any pantomine and a real tonic, “feel-good” theatre, fully recommended to brighten up even the darkest, wildest of deep winters nights, yes, even in down town Hull.

– Gary Clark