Underdog: The Other Other Brontë is a new play by Sarah Gordon currently playing the Dorfman at the National Theatre. Winner of the prestigious Nick Darke Award in 2020, Underdog is not a story about well-behaved women. In fact, in this new play the Brontë sisters are put through their paces as Charlotte has a confession about how one sister became an idol, and the other became known as the third sister. You know the one. No, not that one. The other, other one… Anne. Yes, that’s right Underdog is an irreverent retelling of the life and legend of the Brontë sisters and the story of the sibling power dynamics that shaped their uneven rise to fame.
“What’s your favorite Brontë novel?” This question lingered in my mind as a confident Charlotte Brontë burst into the auditorium at the beginning of the show, addressing the audience.
Right from the start, it was evident that this tale of the Brontë sisters wouldn’t resemble a typical, dry English lesson. Gemma Whelan’s self-assured Charlotte Brontë led the evenings action in a tour-de-force performance. Whelan gave an energetic performance that exuded confidence as her Charlotte navigated her complicated relationship with her family through humor, heartfelt emotion and wit. Adele James gave an equally thrilling performance as Emily Brontë. Strong and independent throughout, her Emily gave as good she could take accumulating in an emotional speech just before her (spoiler)… death where she accused Charlotte of being uncaring towards her younger sister Anne. Rhiannon Clements had perhaps the most-rounded character journey in Anne Brontë. From youngest sister discovering herself to forgotten author, Clements used her cutting wit and ability to pull at the audiences heart-strings to craft a performance that was very affecting. As their only brother, James Phoon looked to be having a lot of fun as Branwell Brontë. From an on stage water fights to his (spoiler)… untimely death, Phoon performed with aplomb bringing this sensitive young aspiring painter to life.
The ensemble cast of men provided fantastic support playing multiple characters, quickly changing costume and bounding back on stage in many memorable moments. A standout moment occurred when Charlotte and Anne simultaneously revealed themselves as female writers to their respective agents, portrayed by Adam Donaldson as Thomas Newby and Julian Moore-Cook as George Smith, in a rapid-fire dialogue scene that yielded vastly different outcomes. Another fantastic moment occurred when a quick onstage costume change saw Nick Blakeley transform into Mrs Ingham early in Act One and then later become horse hoofs in a Monty Python-esque gag that the audience ate up. In other parts of the play you couldn’t take your eyes of Kwaku Mills as he transformed from the young devious Tabby to a seething theatre critic to an absolutely hilarious Cunliffe.
While I’m sure some Brontë purists will have lots of say about Underdog’s treatment of their heroines, this recounting of the Brontë sisters rise to fame is geared towards a contemporary audience. Lots of swearing and modern speech patterns see the audience is never far from a joke and the plays wit, stagecraft and performance make Underdog an extremely enjoyable watch. Transferring to the Northern Stage later in the year, The National Theatre has Underdog running until May. So jump on the next horse and carriage to make sure you don’t miss the chance to see this delightful gem at the Dofrman Theatre.
Reviewed by Stuart James
