A Room with A View, adapted by Grace Chapple and currently performing at Belvoir St Theatre, is one of the best book-to-stage adaptations I’ve ever seen. E. M. Forster’s original 1908 novel tells the story of Lucy Honeychurch (Nathalie Morris), whose travels through Italy provide her with a glimpse of independence and subsequently lead her to question the restraints of societal expectations upon her return to England. While it is a humorous story of love, at its heart it is about Lucy breaking convention and choosing for herself.
Along this journey of self-discovery, our protagonist is surrounded by an incredible cast of characters. Her cousin, Charlotte Bartlett (Hayley McElhinney), chaperones her around Italy and provides stern and unsolicited advice, while Mr Beebe (Tom Conroy), an Anglican clergyman whose love of God is only surpassed by his love of gossip, and the Emersons, father (Patrick Williams) and son George (Luke Wiltshire), become significant catalysts in Lucy’s life.
Directed by Hannah Goodwin, it is impossible to single out any particular performance as being exceptional, with each actor embodying their character to perfection. This also includes Charles Wu as Lucy’s judgemental fiancé Cecil Vyse, Tomáš Kantor as Lucy’s affable brother Freddy and Kate Atkinson in a dual performance as the adventurous author Miss Lavish and Lucy’s mother, Mrs Honeychurch.
Each character performs third-person narration, offering insight into their thoughts and ensuring the play largely aligns with the original text, as they can use dialogue directly from the novel.
The staging by Zoë Atkinson is simple but effective, with projections used to convey the River Arno out the hotel window and fresco artworks in a church. This is enhanced by Amelia Lever-Davidson’s lighting design, which is utilised particularly effectively when Mr Beebe, George Emerson and Freddie decide to have a swim in the lake. The lighting implies the men are diving underwater and bursting through the surface.
Another clever theatrical device is the use of sound (designed by Madeleine Picard), specifically a piano, which every cast member appears proficient at, used to simulate the action of skipping stones and the bounce of a tennis ball.
There is a certain cheekiness throughout the performance, perhaps never more so than when the group of travellers embarks on a day trip, and we are blessed with an entire scene where the Italian driver (Tomáš Kantor) takes centre stage. Powering up a projector, he begins a slideshow that serves as English subtitles for his story. This hilarious interpretation is a real highlight, despite not involving any of the main characters.
There is an interesting implication throughout that Charlotte can relate to Lucy’s experience of kissing an unsuitable man (George Emerson) and having it ruin her life. Perhaps this is why she is a ‘spinster’ and so invested in Lucy’s future. Playing a part in bringing Lucy and George together in the end, the play concludes with Charlotte alone on stage, smiling wistfully at the sky. This is an interesting choice and implies that, in her cousin’s happiness, Charlotte has found closure for her own circumstances.
A Room with A View is an entertaining, funny, well-acted, stunning piece of theatre. The only negative I could find was that, in parts, the audio for the cast’s mics was too quiet. There were numerous points throughout the production where the audience would laugh, and the characters could not be heard clearly over the top. Perhaps the sound should be louder, or there should be longer pauses for laughter. But given how much laughter there is, that may push out the runtime!
Chapple has created a clever and authentic adaptation of this well-known classic. It is impossible not to get swept up in this story of love and one woman’s journey to carve out her own way.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
A Room with a View will perform at Belvoir St Theatre until 1 November 2026.
For more information and to book tickets, head to the Belvoir St Theatre website.
Reviewer attended on 7 October 2026.
Photos: Brett Boardman
