Olive Schreiner's novel about the coming of age on a South African farm of cousins Em and Lyndall and their friend, the fiercely thoughtful Waldo, was published in 1883 under the pseudonym Ralph Iron.
The unconventional Lyndall, who doesn't believe in God but does believe in education, free love and independence, was undoubtedly a self-portrait of Schreiner herself, and the character was seized upon by feminists of the time. But, like Lyndall, Schreiner never succeeded in reconciling her intellectual ideas with society's expectations and her own emotional needs. Personal happiness eluded her.
This adaptation teems with good ideas but both the narrative line and the style of the production lack coherence. Fatally, although Lyndall is played with gusto and charm by Charlotte Purdon, the lack of depth in the characterisation and the nerviness of the staging never allow you to engage fully with her; she feels like a series of poses.
Aided by Jens Cole's simple design, the production succeeds in conjuring the landscape and the claustrophobia of the farm. But it employs so many performance styles that it very quickly becomes irritating. Neither is there any differentiation between the visual or physical effect that adds to the drama and the one that merely slows it down.
The young cast work very hard, but the overall effect is, alas, botched.
Till September 30. Box office: 020-7928 6363.
