The Go-Between - Apollo Theatre

Mercury, messenger of the gods

The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley is one of my top five favourite novels, so I was both excited and apprehensive when I saw the play advertised. Apprehensive because the book is so atmospheric, absorbing, believable, subtle and magical that it's pretty much impossible for any adaptation to do it justice. And because the poster is a little tacky, with its big close-up of Michael Crawford's anxious/contemplative face. And because it is described as a 'musical adaptation', which is enough to strike fear into any Go-Between purist's heart.

However, my concerns about the play's musical nature were allayed when I saw the piano on the stage. The music thankfully wasn't like that in a 'musical' proper (with drums, etc.), which would not have suited the story. The piano was the only instrument used. For the most part I enjoyed the music - it was beautiful and the voices were amazing - but some of the lyrics I found too unsubtle, especially those in the 'Butterfly' song about Leo's feelings towards Marian. Show, don't tell!

The rest of the set was intriguing...patches of grass growing between floorboards, a big wooden chest, floor-length 'windows' at the back of the stage. The lighting was used to great effect throughout the play to convey the different atmospheres. 1900s costumes: excellent.

The characterisation in the play was strong. I was extremely impressed with Luka Green's performance as young Leo. I thought he played the part perfectly; suitably curious and interested in his new surroundings, keenly aware that he was from a different social milieu to the Maudsleys and anxious to avoid making any embarrassing faux pas, both fascinated and frustrated by the behaviour of the adults around him, desperately wanting to impress Marian, mildly irritated by the obnoxious Marcus, independent, confident in his magical abilities...one of the things I liked about the play was the fact that it didn't gloss over Leo's 'magic', which I felt the 1971 film kind of did. The deadly nightshade scene was powerful.

I also really liked Stuart Ward as morose tenant farmer Ted Burgess. The scenes featuring him and young Leo were intense and absorbing. And I loved the special effect of Ted diving into the lake! Michael Cranfield's almost constant presence on the stage as the older Leo worked well, adding to the sense of foreboding. I thought Marian (Gemma Sutton) could have been a bit more serene and detached earlier on in the play, which would have made her later outbursts towards Leo more shocking.

My theatre companion was appalled, incensed and deeply aggrieved that the ending of this version [spoiler alert!] revealed the older Leo to be pleased that he had acted as the 'go-between'; that he considered the damaging effects of that summer's events on his life to have been worth it because he had served the pure and noble role of aiding and abetting True Love. This ending was different to that of the novel, in which the older Leo was aware that the summer's events had caused him to live less boldly than before and to limit his horizons. While I agreed with my companion that the novel's ending was far superior and made more sense, I wasn't too bothered by the play's ending. I think it can be read as the older Leo just being deluded, which makes the whole thing even more poignant...or it can just be ignored. The rest of the play up until the final minute or two was so good, one shouldn't let the final couple of minutes detract from it!

photo credit: Mercury via photopin (license)

Next: The Alchemist

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Apollo Theatre

Curious Incident of the Dog poster

*I wrote this review yesterday and was shocked to hear this morning about the ceiling collapse at the theatre that occurred yesterday evening. I hope everyone injured recovers quickly and that the show resumes as soon as possible!*

This theatre trip was a birthday surprise! I didn't know what we were going to see until we walked into the Apollo. I hadn't read the book but I knew it was about a teenage boy with Asperger Syndrome, who tries to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbour's dog after discovering its speared corpse. 

The boy, Christopher Boone, is a mathematical genius who loves train sets and star-gazing, and dreams of being an astronaut on a spaceship in which he can live and work separately from other people. He is very literal, dislikes most forms of physical contact, and finds it difficult to fathom peoples' behaviour.

The production was fast-paced and energetic, alternating swiftly between humour and pathos. The supporting cast members were on stage nearly all the time, sitting on white boxes that represented a number of items throughout the play (e.g. microwaves, computers, suitcases), when they weren't in a scene. I think Christopher (Mike Noble) was in every scene, which made it a pretty intense role, especially given the length of the play (2.5 hours not including interval). There were several twists in the plot, none of which I had anticipated.

The set was an intriguing mathematical grid covering both the stage and the three walls. I loved the use of lighting in this play. The opening was dramatic; from pitch darkness, a spotlight suddenly illuminated Christopher examining Wellington, the dead dog, then the light went out again, and when it came sharply on again you saw Christopher in a different position, before the light was extinguished again, and then it came on for a third time. It happened later on in the play, too. No, I don't know the technical term for this effect. One of my favourite parts was the end of the first act, when the elaborate miniature railway that Christopher had been building during his sessions with Siobhan started working independently - the train began moving along the track and the lights in the toy houses came on. It was quite wonderful.

People on the autism spectrum are often portrayed as cold and unfeeling and difficult for 'ordinary' people to relate to. The character of Christopher was easy to relate to, and I enjoyed the concern that he showed for his pet rat, and the adorable new puppy. His different relationships with his parents were plausible. The characters of the parents were properly fleshed out; they weren't simply ciphers. I liked the character of Siobhan, Christopher's teacher, and his respect for her and her teaching. It is Siobhan's voice that Christopher hears in his head when he is panicking over what to do next.

I preferred the second act to the first. The scenes in which Christopher tries to navigate the London underground were my favourites. They were humourous and it was interesting to see the tube - something I use almost every day - through the eyes of someone with autism. I  find it pretty stressful myself, so I can sympathise with Christopher's panic.

This was the third play in a row that I have seen that used animal actors! I am including the Doll's House baby in this count. I definitely recommend this play.

Next: I'm seeing this at the weekend