The lady and the gamekeeper

I HAVE never read Lady Chatterley s Lover by D H Lawrence although I have viewed a production on television, therefore to see Paul Hurts adaptation at the Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage, was a revelation. The fact that there were only four players and on

I HAVE never read Lady Chatterley's Lover by D H Lawrence although I have viewed a production on television, therefore to see Paul Hurts adaptation at the Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage, was a revelation.

The fact that there were only four players and one set, subdivided into three was disconcerting, that they spoke narrative, as Mellor's did as Lawrence, and acted was another. Even so this production captured the essence of love, lust and ones position in the order of life during and after World War I.

Clifford Chatterley (Paul McGreevy), Baronet, returns from the war unable to walk or father a child. His wife, Constance (Rebecca Aswani) feels restricted and frustrated at nursing her husband and suggests he hires a manservant. This he rejects. Instead Mrs Bolton (Amanda Beetham-Wallace), a widow, is taken on and he informs Constance that he doesn't mind if she takes a lover so long as she stays with him, after all it's only sex!

Unfortunately she falls for Mellors, (Darren Day) the gamekeeper, who shows her love, lust and happiness and awakens her sexually with his tenderness. She becomes pregnant.

Eventually Clifford discovers her secret but cannot understand how she could love someone from the lower class. He would take her back but Constance realises now what true love is, gives Bolton her ring and leaves.

Can they survive together? We were left to make up our own minds in a somewhat unclear ending.

Well acted, though a little stark for me - but I loved the music.

Maureen Millard