“1825. A young woman, newly liberated from the deep-rooted effects of an abusive childhood, arrives in London. She is full of hope and ready to embrace a fresh start. However, she soon finds herself as ‘the leading lady in drama she can’t comprehend.’ The gaslighting is subtle, the manipulation slick. Can Miss Havisham discern her fate? Or is she destined to relive the devastation of her trauma?”
What an introduction to Havisham taken from Heather Alexander’s website, and yet it does not quite prepare the viewer with what unfolds on stage. Rye Arts Festival presented Heather Alexander’s one-woman show on Sunday September 15 to a discerning audience which was bowled over and captivated.
Pat Driver, a leading light of the drama scene in Rye, was part of the audience; who better to write about this extraordinary play.
“You don’t necessarily expect to experience a superior theatrical tour de force halfway up a cobbled street in our town. But that was exactly what the Rye Arts Festival brought to the community centre last Sunday afternoon. Heather Alexander’s portrayal of one of Dickens’ most compelling characters was not only a masterclass in acting but also a fine example of her skill as a playwright. This was a story expertly told and completely absorbing.
“Havisham never really stood a chance of overcoming a childhood so brutally marred by abuse and cruelty. Alexander inhabited the mind and body of Miss Havisham so completely that this back story offered the only logical explanation for such a tragic evolution from neglected child to rejected bride. Alexander’s voice, in turns pleading, bewildered and eventually enraged, carried the narrative perfectly, building momentum to the devastating ending.
“The staging was simple, the set comprising a chair, some wooden crates, a mirror. Various flimsy white garments and of course, the iconic wedding dress, were decorous and symbolic components of the clever scenery. Sound and light were expertly deployed and the recorded voices were particularly effective.
“Special mention should go to young actor Maia Jenkin whose voice as child Havisham was on point. The audience rose to its feet at the end, as indeed it should. Havisham was written and performed by Heather Alexander and directed by Dominique Gerrard.”
Havisham is on tour around the UK and you can see it at the Stables Theatre, Hastings on March 25 next year. Heather is thrilled to be bringing her one-woman play, ROOM – a journey into the creative mind of Virginia Woolf to Jermyn Street Theatre in London’s West End on November 3 at 5pm. Book: https://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/show/room/.
Image Credits: Kt bruce , Paul Whiteman .