“It’s rare that a costumed, fully staged rehearsed reading with such a reliance on the use of props can be successful, but nothing seemed to hinder the production and it was exceptionally smooth.”

“The use of language was subtly balanced to believably represent the manner of speaking in the 19th century while still proving accessible and emotive for a modern audience.”

“The acting was of a uniformly high standard.”

“I thought the production was excellent; it really kept my attention. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done to all the cast.”

“It was an excellent taster. I know a lot had to be cut out to get the production into the time limit allowed, but it really would benefit from being shown in full; this one deserves it. The acting was of a very high standard. The scene setting was minimal and effective, and changes were efficiently swift. Well done to everyone involved.”

“The “pub scene” was very VERY good and, I think, achieved the difficult requirement of injecting some light relief at the same time as moving the narrative on and continuing to track Branwell’s dissolution; the scene was very funny and was well-appreciated by the audience.”

“When writer and performer are ad idem with each other, as they were here, it truly makes for a formidable partnership.”

“The writer has a particular talent for dialogue and comedy, as well as melodrama, and the way the action was constructed and moved along is exemplary. Great skill is also shown when it comes to characterisation – the subtle (and occasionally not-so-subtle!) differences in character between the three sisters were impressive.”

“I was gripped throughout and fascinated by the story of Branwell, whilst being offered honest glimpses into the beginnings of the Brontë sisters’ literary fame. Caroline Lamb’s attention to detail and in depth consideration of the character relationships is astounding, and her script came alive with the help of honest and empathetic portrayals by the actors.”

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