Sturmhöhe

Love or madness? Revenge and ghosts on the stormy moors of England.

Love, passion, revenge: Emily Brontë's only novel Sturmhöhe, published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, is one of the most controversial and famous classics of English literature. The story is set on the Wuthering Heights estate, in the stormy moors of north-east England. The orphan Heathcliff finds a new home in the Earnshaw family and develops a deep bond with his stepsister Cathy. But their affection is overshadowed by social norms and their own pride. When Cathy marries the son of the wealthy neighbours, Heathcliff leaves the area, humiliated. Three years later, the highly intelligent and gloomy hero returns as a rich man and begins his quest for revenge.

Director Claudia Bossard, who is directing at Schauspielhaus Bochum for the first time, has repeatedly transformed complex literary texts into impressive images and atmospheric scenes for the stage. With Sturmhöhe, Emily Brontë created a novel that still fascinates after centuries with its abysmal depiction of ghostly nature and interpersonal feelings.