Theatre / bristol old vic theatre school
Review: The Heresy of Love, Bristol Old Vic
Billed as a religious thriller, this Bristol Old Vic Theatre School production of Helen Edmundson’s intense drama plays to an enthralled audience in the intimate environs of the Old Vic studio.
Don’t let the religion put you off – this play has more in common with the intrigue and double-crossing of Shakespearean drama than any kind of parable.
But it’s the characters themselves who really shine through. Based on a true story, the play tells of Sister Juana Inés de la Cruz, a 17th-century Mexican nun who is also a popular thinker, poet and playwright. She is surrounded in the main by caring, singing nuns, and courted by the aristocracy – the Vicereine is a particularly close friend.
But beyond the gates of the convent lie darker forces in the shape of Archbishop Aguiar Y Seijas, who would rather that Sister Juana focus on prayers, not plays. And so begins our heroine’s quest to battle the powers of the Church.
To lighten the mood there is also a subplot about her errant niece falling in love with Don Hernando (Harry Egan), who definitely gets the most laughs for his playboy jokes.
The acting is uniformly excellent. Erin Doherty’s articulate Sister Juana is played beautifully even when she’s not speaking: the friendship scene between her and the Vicereine (Pippa Moss) is particularly moving. Bishop Santa Cruz (Dominic Allen), an early supporter of Juana, remains charismatic, but he reveals his darker side in convincing Iago-like soliloquies.
The Archbishop (Joel Macey) is talked about much more than he is on stage – but when he does appear, his sinister, controlled performance leaves room for some terrifying outbursts.
The symbolic set is formed of two concentric circles, one for Juana’s study and one for the other scenes, where iron gates both protect and constrict. At one point, the nuns’ elaborate headdresses get a laugh and rightly so: Lizzy Leech’s costumes are lavish and well-constructed.
This is a resounding success for the BOVTS students: a serious religious thriller with some great universal themes – talent, friendship, the limits of personal ambition – at its heart.
The Heresy of Love continues at Bristol Old Vic Studio until Saturday, March 14. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.bristololdvic.org.uk/heresyoflove.html
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