It’s been a while since I set my phone off spinning round
and round until 20 mins and 15 seconds are up.
But it’s been a busy few weeks. I’ve
co-ordinated an event for Selby’s Little Fest of theatre, music and arts in the
incredible Abbey featuring local groups.
I’ve been doing some R&D with my friend Maddy Shann on a piece we
might develop in the future. And I’ve
been busy turning my acoustic side project, Pewter City Punk, into a full band!
But we must forge ahead with the project for the
year. Namely, to write a blog post in 20
mins and 15 seconds. We’re off!
This blog is about adaptations. Over the past year, I have adapted A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Harrogate
Theatre to be used for a range of ages roughly 6-11 in Youth Theatre and school’s
outreach projects. I have also adapted
the classic tale of The Circle of Chalk
(as retold by Brecht) for York Youth Theatre’s 16+ group which was performed at
the end of last year. Now I’ve sent off
my final draft to Harrogate Theatre, an adaptation of the classic Robin Hood
tale.
Adaptations can be incredible retelling of stories. I saw a stream of the NTs Treasure Island written
by Bryony Lavery. I thought it was a
really gripping action adventure. Maybe a
tad gory for the target audience it intended, but still a visceral retelling
that gripped me. Some adaptations get
the story to a wider audience, Tom Morris and Emma Rice’s Night’s At The Circus for Kneehigh was the first time I’ve
experienced Angela Carter, now one of my fav writers. Mike Kenny’s adaptations for York Theatre
Royal, Tutti Frutti or Hiccup Theatre are always rich with a joyous insight
into the original.
Adaptations have to be both faithful and fresh. Just as film is not theatre, theatre is not a
book. Theatre is a live experience
condensed into a relatively small pocket of time. But it must also be faithful, else why not
repackage the story as something entirely new?
From an artistic perspective, there’s the pull between
the context of the original text, and trying to find the ‘hook’ for the modern
day. Shakespeare is often easy, as a
humanist his plays often have recognisable characters falling in love, being ambitious
or being trapped.
Whenever I’m playing with an original idea, I like to jot
down over a few days all my thoughts with purely the context I bring to the
paper. Circle of Chalk is swished around
my memory of seeing it previously at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. All my initial ideas of Brecht ideas. A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, I rifled through my memory for all those key
moments that stand out without a re-reading of the play.
Then I take time to dive deeper, read around the
story. Read the liner notes, read up
online, take out some books, try and really sink deep and see if there’s an interpretation
I’ve missed.
By putting these two contrasting styles alongside each
other, you start to find your own voice between the lines. For Who Shot The Sherriff, my mind flashed
Marian as being a tough fighter, not unlike the TV show from my childhood. Of course, upon doing my research and reading
other books I realised how she’s traditionally portrayed as being an aristocratic
woman. So my version had her being
forced to learn the rules of civilised society despite her best interests. I knew there needed to be a fight scene, but
only after re-watching the classic Errol Fyn sword-fights did I realised how
this can be scripted, and kinda parodied.
My version of Robin Hood and his Merry Men are more merry
kids. They are still teenagers, played
by members of Harrogate Theatre Youth Theatre.
To that end, they have the energy and bravery of young people. They are
told they are dirty, rude and intolerable.
They get told off, caught and are fought.
If my Robin Hood and his merry men were, in fact, merry
men I think it would be tonally darker.
It wouldn’t be a cruel angst-driven piece, but more would be at
stake. Breaking laws would have more
severe consequences. Who Shot The
Sherriff is a bit farcical, a bit slapstick, a bit manic. There’s the threat of death hinted, but it’s
more for a summer show of swords and swordplay.
I felt this came out from the characters being so young and vim-filled.
However, that’s not the say the play is a watered-down Panto. From the 21st century lens, why
are these kids keen to become knights or outlaws? Who are their role-models? Why can the Sherriff bully them around? These thoughts bounced around my skull like
an arrow flying off the walls.
So I realised (partly though a spot of Prince of Thieves
viewing) that the adults had gone off East to fight the crusades, not unlike
our day and age where soldiers are sent abroad in government’s wars. This left a power vacuum for men like the
Sherriff to take power, and young boys and girls eager to fill their shoes.
I’m not saying it’s the most political piece I’ve written,
certainly not compared to The Circle of Chalk which has a lot of my perceptions
on nationality, nation and borders. But
I think they exploring various perceptions on an original text, while keeping
the energy of a traditional action-adventure can take a different turn when not
throwing it into the deep waters of 2015, but letting it paddle around in a few
different ponds of possibility.
Or something.
Catch Who Shot The Sherriff at Harrogate’s main stage this
summer, tickets here
