Heartbreak House At The Court

Heartbreak House At The Court

Of all of George Bernard Shaw’s plays, HEARTBREAK HOUSE was his favourite. His classic receives appropriate treatment at The Court Theatre from May 9 as Elric Hooper directs an all-star cast in Shaw’s witty and sophisticated comedy of manners.

Hooper explains the enduring appeal of the piece to audiences and likens both its language and wit to the works of Oscar Wilde. “HEARTBREAK HOUSE seems to turn like a diamond, with its facets catching new and unexpected lights as time passes. One is consistently astonished and delighted by its eternal and prophetic topicality.”

In HEARTBREAK HOUSE, Shaw gathers a group of eccentric characters at the estate of the irascible Captain Shotover. In the course of an evening truths are revealed, hearts are broken and tea is served. “On the surface it is sophisticated country house comedy with fringes of farce,” says Hooper, “But the play has elements of poetry and uncertainty, which make it unique in Shaw’s output.”

The cast are a who’s-who of local and national acting talent with Tim Bartlett, Alistair Browning, Elsie Edgerton-Till, Phil Grieve, Geoffrey Heath, Martin Howells, Yvonne Martin, Lynda Milligan, Tom Trevella and Rima Te Wiata all signing on to the production. “Shaw said that, above all, plays are exhibitions of acting. In HEARTBREAK HOUSE he has proved his point by providing ten actors with ten challenging and gratifying roles” adds Hooper.

The original version of HEARTBREAK HOUSE, staged in 1919, ran for over four hours. For The Court’s production, Literary Manager Elizabeth O’Connor edited the script; cutting the running time almost in half to produce a version that “moves at a quicker pace while keeping the wit and appeal of the play”.

Designer Julian Southgate incorporated Shaw’s theme of “a ship without a Captain” into the visual design of the show. Many of the props are built from “recycled” nautical elements and the design of the country house set masterfully echoes a great ship.

Hooper is confident audiences will delight in the wit and wisdom of Shaw’s razor-sharp, thought-provoking and bitingly funny play.

HEARTBREAK HOUSE runs for four weeks in Court One.

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