Bringing The Rainbow to the Stage: Nicola Werenowska on D.H. Lawrence, Migration, and Perth Theatre

D.H. Lawrence’s The Rainbow has been a staple of English literature for over a century, dissected in classrooms, praised for its lyrical depth, and, at one point, banned for its daring explorations of sexuality and gender identity. Yet, for all its analysis, one theme has been overlooked: its migrant narrative.

For playwright Nicola Werenowska, this omission was too significant to ignore. In collaboration with director and dramaturg Jo Newman, she has adapted The Rainbow for the stage at Perth Theatre, bringing a new lens to the novel’s intergenerational tale of resilience, identity, and transformation. The result is a production that does not just tell a story but reframes it entirely, shining a light on a history that has long been obscured.

The Beginning: A Spark of Recognition

Werenowska and Newman’s previous collaboration, Silence, explored the experiences of Polish families forcibly deported to Siberia during the Second World War. The play, which toured nationally and received critical acclaim, examined how trauma is passed down through generations—a theme that would later surface in The Rainbow adaptation.

“We wanted a new project,” Werenowska recalls. “An old university professor saw Silence at The Dukes in Lancaster and afterwards said, ‘You know what, I’ve just been reading The Rainbow—three generations of Polish women…’ And I replied, ‘No, it’s not—I studied it at A-level.’ But I went back to it, and, to my surprise, the whole Polish identity and migrant issue at the heart of the novel had been completely overlooked.”

For Werenowska, revisiting The Rainbow through this perspective was revelatory. “When I speak to people about The Rainbow, they recall themes of a young woman struggling with her mother and grandmother, gender identity, and even a first same-sex kiss—one of the reasons the book was banned. Yet, the migrant story remains unexamined. It was wonderful to revisit the novel and explore it from this perspective.”

“…o my surprise, the whole Polish identity and migrant issue at the heart of the novel had been completely overlooked.”

Reimagining The Rainbow for the Stage

The process of adaptation involved restructuring the novel’s traditional timeline. “The novel begins with Lydia, a political activist and refugee from Poland, forced to rebuild her life in rural Nottinghamshire. The story then moves to her daughter, Anna, who was born in London under terrible conditions and later adopted by Lydia’s husband. The narrative continues with Ursula, the granddaughter, whose story dominates much of the novel.”

Bringing these three women to the stage presented a challenge. “In the original novel, the grandmother dies early in Ursula’s story, making it very much Ursula’s journey. However, in our adaptation, we have taken a non-linear approach, incorporating flashbacks and allowing all three women to remain on stage for most of the play. This opens up their individual stories and creates a sense of intergenerational dialogue.”

One of the boldest decisions was making the oldest woman a ghost. “This was a choice that could have gone terribly wrong, but I think it works. Otherwise, she would have had to be written out early, which would have been a loss. We wanted to embrace the theatricality of storytelling.”

Casting and Representation

For Werenowska, the casting process was deeply personal. “We held open auditions to ensure an integrated and diverse cast, which was particularly important to me as a neurodivergent writer. We wanted to include neurodivergent actors and incorporate the Polish language. More than 50% of our cast are either of Polish heritage, neurodivergent, or both. The production reflects a range of migrant experiences, and we sought performers who could authentically contribute to that story.”

This commitment to representation was about more than just accuracy—it was about broadening the way theatre tells stories. “Theatre has to reflect the world we live in. That means acknowledging the layers of identity—heritage, neurodivergence, migration—that shape people’s experiences.”

The Role of Perth Theatre

For Werenowska, working at Perth Theatre has been a meaningful experience. “I had never been to Perth before, and it has been a wonderful experience. The theatre is stunning, and everyone has been incredibly welcoming. It has been a fantastic introduction to working in Scotland.”

She has also had time to appreciate connections between Scotland and her family. “My father-in-law spent time in Scotland when he arrived in the UK after the war. My daughter is more Scottish than she is anything else…so you could say our connections run deep, and it has been rewarding to explore those links through my work in the theatre.”

A significant part of the production also involved community engagement. “I will be running a workshop with the migrant community as part of the production. Perth Theatre is undertaking an ambitious five-year Polish-themed project, which aligns beautifully with our adaptation.”

Revisiting Lawrence’s Work

In the process of adaptation, Werenowska has come to see Lawrence’s work in a new light. “Lawrence was an extraordinary writer who explored big themes—environment, gender identity, sexuality, and class. The themes of migration and displacement are already present in The Rainbow, but society has often had a blind spot in recognizing them, perhaps due to our own colonial past.”

Her view of Lawrence has also evolved over time. “I first studied him at A-level, and at the time, the focus was on class. By the 1990s, Lawrence had been heavily criticized for his portrayal of women—seen through the male gaze and, in many ways, culturally cancelled. Now, gender studies departments are reassessing his work and seeing it through a fresh lens. There is an emerging understanding that he was not simply a ‘straight white man’ in the way we often assume. It is likely that he existed somewhere within the LGBTQ+ spectrum.”

“Lawrence was an extraordinary writer who explored big themes—environment, gender identity, sexuality, and class.”

Letting the Play Take Flight

For Werenowska, the most rewarding part of the process has been seeing the play come to life in rehearsals. “By the end of the first week of rehearsals, the script no longer feels like mine. It’s a beautiful and bittersweet moment. You have to let your creation go. By the time the show opens, it belongs to the actors.”

“As a writer, I have a responsibility to support the cast, but I do not own the production in a literal sense. It’s just words on a page until the actors bring it to life. I always tell the team, ‘This is ours now.’ One of my favourite parts of the process is seeing how things evolve during rehearsals.”

So, does the production look how she imagined it? “Yes and no. It is always as I envisioned, but also something new. Live actors, music, and direction transform it into something beyond what I initially imagined.”

As The Rainbow prepares to open at Perth Theatre, Werenowska hopes that audiences will not just witness a powerful family saga but also recognize the deeper history embedded within it. “This adaptation is about giving a voice to those who have always been in the text, but whom history has too often ignored.”

Featured Image: Provided by Perth Theatre P.R.