Between 1851 and 1853, Cranford was published in serial form in Household Words, Charles Dickens's weekly magazine. At that time, its author was generally known as Mrs Gaskell. Only in the 1970s and 1980s, as literary scholarship increasingly recognised her as a major author in her own right, did the name Elizabeth Gaskell become more widely used. This shift in naming reflects changing attitudes towards women writers, but it also points towards one of the central concerns of her fiction. At the heart of this comic masterpiece are the position of women in society and the conventions that both restrict them and create a unique sense of community. That reassessment of Gaskell and her work finds an echo in this latest stage adaptation, which recasts some of the novel's incidents and reshapes its dialogue to make it more accessible to a contemporary audience. However, the essential character of the work is brilliantly maintained. The opening prank, in which Peter dresses as a woman, is given homoerotic overtones absent from Gaskell's original, sharpening its exposure of the rigid policing of gender roles for present-day viewers. At the same time, the production retains Gaskell's humorous treatment of social rivalries and petty jealousies, while preserving her deep respect for the camaraderie of women whose narrow lives have not made them mean-spirited. Grief and loss touch them all, but their experiences gradually make them stronger, more independent and more compassionate. While there is nostalgia for the old ways, there is also an acknowledgement of their limitations and a cautious acceptance of change. These nuanced concerns of Gaskell are kept to the forefront by the simple staging, which focuses attention on the characters and their development, while an extraordinary ensemble brings this world to life. Tamsin Greig captures Matty Jenkyns's initial timidity and deference, allowing her dry humour to surface, while charting her gradual transformation into a more assured, independent and compassionate woman as successive crises unsettle her sheltered existence. Phoebe Pryce subtly gives the narrator, Eliza Cleghorn, a watchful, sometimes judgemental air, beneath which lies a grief she has been unable to confront. Her scenes with Greig are particularly touching as the roles of tutor and pupil shift between them, and each comes to learn from the other. Abigail Cruttenden is masterful in her contrasting portrayals of the formidable Deborah Jenkyns and the more open-minded Lady Glenmire, giving each a distinct character. The remaining 'Amazons', Sara Powell, Sara Crowe and Alexandra Gilbreath, are also perfectly cast, collectively conveying the balance of compassion and constraint that Gaskell explores. Ultimately, this production succeeds in balancing the comedy of Cranford's rituals with the complex emotional lives that lie beneath them. Its affectionate portrayal of a community negotiating social conventions and personal loss captures the enduring appeal of Gaskell's celebration of female friendship and independence.
Rated: ★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Marc Brenner
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