Review: THE HEIRESS by Stagecraft Theatre

Well directed and skilfully delivered by a stellar cast, this is an absorbing play that will remain with you for a long time.

The Heiress is a 1947 play by American Playwrights Ruth and Augustus Goetz adapted from the Henry James novel Washington Square. Two years later, the play was adapted into the film of the same name starring Olivia de Havilland.

The play opened in Broadway in Sept 1948 and ran for 410 performances. It has been revived four times on Broadway.

Set in 1850s New York, The Heiress follows Catherine Sloper, a shy and socially awkward young woman who lives under the shadow of her domineering father, Dr. Austin Sloper. Catherine is wealthy but emotionally neglected, and her father constantly compares her unfavorably to her late mother.

When a charming but penniless suitor, Morris Townsend begins courting her, Catherine falls deeply in love. However, Dr. Sloper suspects Morris is only interested in Catherine’s inheritance and forbids the marriage. Caught between her love for Morris and her need for her father’s approval, Catherine must confront painful truths about both men—and ultimately, about herself.

This is another fantastic production from Stagecraft.

The set (design by Tanya Piejus) was relatively simple with a number of chairs and tables  on a large rug covering almost the entire stage area and a large curtained window toward the rear of the stage. In front a simple tiled area symbolised the fireplace.

Lighting (Design by Emma Bella and Miker Slater) was also simple but effective, most notably during a scene late at night between Catherine (Aimée Sullivan) and Lavinia (Elizabeth Marshall) as Catherine awaits Morris (James Kiesel) to take her away and elope, escaping her father (Phil Peleton) and hopefully to live happily ever after.

Costuming (Rhys Tunley and Meredith Dooley) was suitable for the time period and there was obvious attention to detail paid by the designers. I would have liked to see one more outfit for the main character Catherine, but it did not detract from the experience. 

It is easy to see why Broadway keeps returning to this play as it remains as compelling today as it did back in the 1940's. A period drama, it seems, can stand the test of time. Some of the fathers comments drew a few gasps from the audience and would never be uttered these days, but that is the beauty of theatre, to remind us of the past and reflect the changes we have seen in attitudes through the years.

The acting was exceptional. Aimée Sullivan as Catherine had incredible growth in her character throughout the play, from the shy and troubled young woman at the beginning to a more self assured adult towards the end. Her delivery was pitch perfect, even when someone's phone went off during the performance (more on that later).  Phil Peleton as Dr Austin Sloper and Elizabeth Marshall as aunt Lavinia Penniman also stood out with their excellent acting ability. The three provided some of the best performances I have seen this year. The remainder of the cast were not far behind either, all working well, without a weak link amongst them.

The story was more absorbing than I had thought possible, having read the synopsis before seeing the production. I was thoroughly engaged from beginning to end and it was obvious that the rest of the audience on opening night felt the same as they erupted into enthusiastic applause as the lights went down on the final scene.

Well directed (Meredith Dooley)and skillfully delivered by a stellar cast, this is an absorbing play that will remain with you for a long time.  I would give this play my highest recommendation. Book as soon as you can. It will no doubt sell out as word gets around.  

Now for my rant-the last two productions that I have been in the audience for, have been disrupted by cell phones going off at crucial parts of the production, This throws both the cast and the audience. Last night, someones phone rang during an intense scene, ruining the moment for all in attendance.  Incredibly, the lesson had not been learned as twenty minutes later, the same phone rang out again. This is unforgivable and if it had been possible, I would have asked this person to leave the auditorium. We should all take responsibility for our devices to be turned off or at the least switched to silent mode. If you need to be by your phone, if it is that critical, don't attend the performance. Please stop ruining our experience.  Rant over.