Eternal Love: Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton

What love is eternal? Eternal Love happens to be a darling and captivating play that's currently in the middle of it's 2014 UK Theatre Tour. This 12th Century inspired show stops by at Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre from Tuesday 25th of February 2014 till Saturday 1st of March 2014 to bring a hearty serving of the Globe Theatre to this West Midland's city! Do you believe in life after love? 

How did I get the chance to see such a heartfelt play? I'm a blogger, so I was approached by the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton to be part of their 'Tweet All About It' programme. Jumping at the chance to branch away from my degree studies for one night I accepted the challenge to Tweet to my hearts content at Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre. Meeting with other fellow Bloggers and Tweeters proved to be like a breath of fresh air as I conduct my blogging work in a independent manner so it's always good to embrace a new wind of change. OK, so lets get on with the show! Captured to the left is the promotional stand for Eternal Love, a play I had not previously heard of before that evening on the 25th of February 2014, let's just say that us Bloggers and Tweeters were very excited to see this show! The last show that I saw at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton was Cabaret, so I sensed that 12th Century France probably didn't have any establishments like Berlin's Kit Kat Klub! 

I want to applaud the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton for welcoming such a play to its theater and to the city for us local folk to enjoy. Musicals are great but breaking away from the norm is even better, let's enjoy this carefully crafted production that goes back at least 850 years into the past. I suggest you keep reading for Abelard and Heloise portray something on the lies of a turbulent and lustful romance that's not meant to be, so see this show for yourself because as they say talk is cheap! Let's celebrate shows like Eternal Love by the English Touring Theatre company for Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre is now 120 years young! 

Let's take a sneak peak backstage for its always great to get a glimpse of a theater without any audience to see some hidden parts from the love affair that is Eternal Love. I made sure I got a look in from the orchestral booth to see if the view from up above looked better compared to the usual view from the seated stalls and circles. The view did impress me much for I never truly realised how dazzling the Grand Theatre looked but for this occasion things were viewed from a more simplistic nature. During the backstage tour I saw a range of costumes that had been fashioned in-line with the 12th Century period of Abelard and Heloise's lustful existence. If I'm not mistake their was a edible book and a range of other peculiar looking props that I'm sure all had a perfect part to play within Eternal Love. After marveling at the stage to then learn that the two trees that stood in the middle of stage were responsibly sourced from Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, I was ready to see this play in all of its glory! I do love the theatre! Do you? 

Retreating to the University of Wolverhampton suite our eyes were opened to the story of the historical beginnings of Abelard's 12th Century existence in Paris, France. Josh Roache, a representative of the English Touring Theatre conducted an insightful presentation regarding the background of the ETT and the thought process behind Eternal Love. A quirky fact I learnt was that the writer of Eternal Love, Howard Brenton actually wrote the television series Spooks. Throughout all of this excitement I never forget to 'Tweet All About It' for it was the only acceptable time to use ones mobile phone whilst someone was talking. 

Eternal Love transformed 2014 Wolverhampton into an interpretation of 12th Century Paris for the love story began with a range of beautifully sung French melodies. Questioning authority a brash and young thinker bombarded the supposedly wise member of the Notre Dame, for that thinker had to be Abelard, the man with the mind. The first act introduced the blossoming love affair between the philosopher, Abelard and his pupil Heloise for their courtship was disguised within the illusion of insightful teachings. Religion is questioned for nothing is ever yes or no when the thoughts of Aristotle were exercised by Abelard and his pupils. Could Abelard and Heloise keep their secret love hidden forever? Even in the 12th Century everyone loved to gossip, so word on the street was that a forbidden love connection had been formed between a teacher and his pupil for idle chat can spread like wildfire! Canon Fulbert, Heloise's uncle had been alerted to a strange report made by three unsuspecting characters, had his niece Heloise been up to no good? 

Like with all good times something has to come to an end, but for these star crossed lovers would the end be so sweet? Smuggled out of Paris, Heloise was bearing a illegitimate child who would be named Astrolabe, she made her way to a remote farm to retreat for some time. Time should be a healer but with a few years past a shock wedding occurred within a cabbage patch, resulting in a mutiny that left Abelard emasculated for sure! Sister's do it for themselves for Heloise reluctantly joined a local convent for her bad habits had finally caught up with her! I suppose all is fair within love and war? In the end their love shall remain eternal. 

I must say that Eternal Love would have been nothing without Abelard (David Sturzaker) and Heloise (Jo Herbert) 

Joseph Harrison