The Height of the Storm

Besides featuring two of the most successful actors in the world, The Height of the Storm is directed by the accomplished theatre and opera director Jonathan Kent. Jonathan Pryce, who stars as André in this production, is an immensely successful performer. Today, he is famous for playing the role of the ‘High Sparrow’ in the critically acclaimed HBO show Game of Thrones. He is also a theatrical drama veteran whose performances in the 1980 Royal Court Theatre’s production of Hamlet won him an Olivier Award. Shortly after this, he bagged a Drama Desk Award and another Olivier Award for his exquisite performance in Miss Saigon. He has been nominated for several other awards including a BAFTA and the Primetime Emmy Award.

Pryce will be accompanied by equally seasoned English actress Eileen Atkins. She is an Emmy, BAFTA, and three-time Olivier Award winner, who recently displayed her acting prowess in the hit Netflix show The Crown.

This exhilarating peek into the troubled life of its protagonist explores complex ideas such as memory and the reality of death with an inimitable panache. Although all the characters and events in the story are somewhat vague and dreamy, the arrangement of scenes and the depiction of the horrors of Alzheimer's is done with characteristic rigour. The journey from the confusing opening to the genuinely touching finale is one you are unlikely to forget.

The Story

The Height of the Storm opens in the French home of Andre and Madeleine, an old couple whose house has recently been ravaged by a storm. Andre and his daughter Anne are in the kitchen, and it becomes quickly apparent that the monosyllabic Andre is suffering from a mental illness. Andre’s wife Madeleine soon arrives, or so it seems, with their second daughter Elise. Elise is constantly swayed by phone calls from her most recent boyfriend Paul while Madeleine goes on to cook mushrooms for Andre.

There is something disturbingly out of place in this household. The audience quickly gleans that the play is telling two stories in parallel - the reality of Andre’s world and his confused version of reality. Andre clings on hopelessly to what he believes to be his wife, enjoying the warmth of their 50-year relationship. The play blurs the edges of reality and uses the confusion to forge a brilliant narrative that is certain to tug at the heartstrings.

Good For

Fans of Jonathan Pryce | Fans of Eileen Atkins | Adult Audiences

Reviews

“Jonathan Pryce and Eileen Atkins excel in Florian Zeller’s beautifully elusive play, translated by Christopher Hampton.”

• The Guardian

“Jonathan Pryce and Eileen Atkins shine in this elliptical drama from Florian Zeller.”

• Timeout