Last night I dreamt I went to the Alhambra again...Well, finding myself there for the third time in as many weeks certainly wasn't a dream, and what a season it's been! Last week it was The History Boys and the week before it was the world premiere of a really fantastic ballet. Nor have the last three week's great theatrical experiences been confined to Bradford. There have been two brand new plays from Halifax's Northern Broadsides and Wakefield's Theatre Royal has also been hosting some interesting productions. It's just possible West Yorkshire may be THE place to experience the best drama around. This new Rebecca really was a play of two halves and if I was writing this review based on what I'd seen up to the interval it would probably be very different. The adaptation is by award-winning Irish dramatist Frank McGuinness. I was expecting the writer of such plays as Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme would give us a Rebecca for for the 21st century. Instead I found the first half of the play somewhat reminiscent of the sort of play beloved of amateur drama groups some years ago. This feeling is emphasised by the country house setting and the way players enter and leave the stage. In addition the Girl Guide-like heroine (Jenna Renshaw) seems just so, well, wet... We first meet our nameless heroine earning her daily bread as a companion to a rich American lady. While passing time in Monte Carlo they met Maxim De Winter (Nigel Havers) who it seems may be badly in need of a wife having lost the first Mrs De winter, Rebecca, in somewhat tragic circumstances. Maxim and our heroine marry and together return to Manderley, his house in Cornwall. There she meets Maxim's family, his friends, his staff and, above all, his formidable housekeeper, Mrs Danvers. Suddenly things, and Maxim, seem very different than they did in France. What mysteries does Manderley hold? It's a case of don't go near the West Wing - Rebecca lived there - and don't mention the ocean. Will the second Mrs De Winter ever take the place of Rebecca in the house or in Maxim's heart? But, of course, things are not quite what they seem but to say much more would give the game away. I can say, though, that the second act has much more pace than the first and seems much more confident in its delivery. Looking around the predominantly female audience I thing it's fair to assume quite a few people have come along just to see Nigel Havers and he portrays De Winter in such a way you can believe this young girl might have fallen in love with him. For me, however, the really interesting character is Mrs Danvers (Rosalind March). The real passion here is the housekeeper's feelings for her late mistress. Amanda Waldy as Maxim's sister brings some real energy, and light relief, to the production. She also seems to be the only really sympathetic female character in the play. It seems Rebecca was a nasty piece of work and when the second Mrs De Winter finds her feet in Act Two her actions are amoral. I also found Jenna Renshaw's performance in the part somewhat one-dimensional. She has only just taken on the role so perhaps she will grow into it. The older man, the innocent young girl, the troublesome wife...They are all reminiscent of another and perhaps greater novel currently being serialised on TV. At the end of the day Jane Eyre has a lot more to tell us! Chris VergusonRebecca is at the Alhambra in Bradford until Saturday 14th October 2006 (Box Office: 01274 432000) | 
