Wildfell brings Anne Bronte’s 1850 tale of abuse and addiction up to date.

From Wildfell Hall to The Palace

The innovative theatre company Hallucinating Angels put Paula Yates in a big black dress and sexed up the De La Warr Pavilion, took you for a spin in the limo on their wedding day, invited you to share your shoe story in their pop up shop and chat about love in their tent. If you missed all that you can still experience Wildfell – a performance and film inspired by The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte.

This free adaptation of a novel which deals with addiction, domestic abuse and destructive compulsion is combined with a contemporary true story dealing with the same issues. Two women separated by centuries and class share damaging vulnerabilities – illustrated by the songs of Etta James and Amy Winehouse.

The evening starts with a short film which includes interviews with people who have been supported by East Sussex Recovery Alliance (ESRA) and Seaview. These two local charities offer help and comfort to those experiencing the distress of substance misuse, homelessness, rough sleeping, mental health issues and resulting isolation.

Director Frances Viner and producer Helen Drake worked closely with the Seaview and ESRA communities, and the input of the users of these two valuable services informed the story-telling and symbolic costume design. “The people we worked with at Seaview and ESRA have really enriched this project – it could not have been realised without them”. Viner is a great believer in the value of art as a medium for healing. “This performance underlines the fact that art has a fundamental role in people’s well-being.”

The production features the beautiful and powerful work of local artists Denise Franklin and Nick Hill. Megan Barham sings and music is provided by guitarists Phil White and Frank Jasper.

Wildfell, a place of recovery is performed on Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 September, 7.30 at The Palace, White Rock (formally the Pig in Paradise). The Wednesday show is a dress rehearsal with tickets for £5. Tickets for the Thursday performance are £7.

Tickets can be reserved by contacting Frances at fanviner@yahoo.co.uk or Helen on 07985 177193. The performance space at the back of The Palace is intimate, so booking in advance is strongly recommended.

Wildfell is part of Hastings Fringe. On Friday there will be a private performance at Seaview.

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