Rebecca,

Theatre Royal Bath until March 7. 

TACKLING a colossus like Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca is a bold and some might say foolhardy move.

Armies of her most avid readers would recoil at just a smidgen of alteration to her tight plot.

And yet Kneehigh Theatre did just that, reimaging the timeless tale of jealousy and revenge complete with folk song, haunting music and even aspects of farce.

Let me say that the first hint of comedy caught me off guard, for lack of a better word. I was ready to wag my finger and begin tuttting in consternation. But more fool on me!

If anything comedy brought the dramatic tense scenes in even sharper contrast. Pushing the limits, these comic interludes complete with dancing and pelvic thrusts never went over the line, or descend into ridicule.

Rebecca recounts the story of Max de Winter who remarries after the tragic death of his wife by drowning. When he returns to his home of Manderley with his young bride, her future is full hope. Yet her happiness is shortly curtailed by the constant reminders of his late wife, Rebecca. Her presence is felt everywhere, from her little study, so meticulouly arranged and left untouched since her death, to the housekeeper Mrs Danvers’ unwavering devotion to her late mistress.

When a boat capsizes in the cove behind the estate, divers uncover Rebecca’s body, casting doubts on the true cause of her death.

The stunning and elaborate set blended Manderley’s grand hall with the cove where Rebecca met her death. The chorus of fishermen intoning folk songs is a near mythical reminder of the pull of sea.

Kneehigh’s production is beautiful crafted right from the first scene, when time rewinds and the drowning body of Rebecca is reclaimed by the sea. It is one of the most powerful moments I have witness in live theatre.

Single-minded and assertive Imogen Sage was a force to be reckoned with on stage. She was everything I had always wished Mrs De Winter could be in the novel. Timid and uncertain at first she grows into a fearless astute woman.

A special mention must be made to Katy Owen, who plays both the young servant Robert and Ben a mentally disabled boy and key witness to Rebecca’s death.

If anyone could have pulled off being the clown, within a serious and high-strung play, it was her. Her hilarious mannerisms, talent for physical comedy and subtle inflection she had the audience in stitches.

My only gripe is with the ending. Having read Rebecca time and time again, the evocative ending has always been, for me, the most harrowing and memorable part of the novel. Despite a brave attempt the vivid imagery of the final scene still missed the mark.

Both a departure and utterly faithful to the story (and ending aside) it is one of the most imaginative and enthralling theatrical adaptations I’ve had the pleasure to see. -- Marion Sauvebois