From the moment the lights fell in Brighton’s Theatre Royal, and the second Mrs. de Winter spoke that famous opening line, it was clear that Kneehigh have put their own unique twist on Rebecca. The classic book by Daphne Du Maurier has been adapted countless times, most famously in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 version. But what Kneehigh have delivered here is a fresh take on the material, that squeezes a lot of humour from this dark story, all while staying true to the source material.

It is a famous old tale. A young woman is swept off her feet by a wealthy widower while on holiday, and is brought back to his Manderly estate as the new Mrs. de Winter. But soon she feels the pressure of living up to Maximillian’s first wife Rebecca, and a whole mystery begins to unravel. The burden of adapting such a famous storyline is that everyone knows what is going to happen, so how do you make it interesting? Luckily, for a company such as Kneehigh, and a writer/director as intelligent as Emma Rice, this is taken in their stride.

The humour is the most striking part of this version. During the first act in particular, tension and suspense are often broken up with big laughs, whether coming from Robert the house servant, or Mr. de Winter’s over the top sister and brother-in-law. While it does sometimes jar with the more intense parts, adding levity to the story is overall a welcome change from all the drama.

As we’ve come to expect from Kneehigh, the production value for Rebecca is quite stunning. Whether it is ships falling from the sky, sailor’s singing sea shanties, or inventive puppetry, the ensemble of actor/musicians all band together for an outstanding and incredibly varied production. The smooth set changes really make the two hour running time speed along, and add an almost cinematic quality of scope and imagination. The dream-like set of a half-built mansion only adds to this, with staging being built and de-assembled in front of the audiences’ eyes in a flash.

This spectacle really stamps Kneehigh’s mark onto the story of Rebecca. However, its biggest fault lies in this too. At times the production seems to be enjoying the playful nature too much, and the plot gets a little left behind. This leads to the second act seeming quite rushed, with revelation after revelation coming at such speed that people not as familiar with the story get easily left behind. It is a real shame, as such care has been taken over the rest of the production.

But that does not sully the performance overall. Kneehigh’s Rebecca is a spectacular show that really adds something new to a tale that has been told over and over again. A rushed ending prevents it from being perfect, but with excellent performances from the cast, a welcome addition of levity, and quite wonderful work with the stage, this comes highly recommended.

Rebecca is on tour with Kneehigh until December. For more information, and tickets, see the Rebecca website.  Photo by Steve Tanner.