Letter (On Externalising) 26/9/17

The Residence

26/9/17

I ask, and am asked, why self-harm? First, though evidently an appropriate term, "self-harm" is also not; I cannot speak for others but, in my own interests, it is a release, an escape: 

To put it succinctly - feeling such pain, frustration and anger as I do, there comes a time when one feels constricted, suffocated and trapped and I reach such depths of mood where things have compressed so tightly that some effective relief is needed and the ideas I have on such relief are not the best to have. For others, as well as myself. Thus the safest release I can enact incurs some mild danger of its own and I attempt to externalise this internal suffering. Is it totally effective? Of course not, but it does - albeit briefly - abate that tension and oppression. The residual pain is also something of a device that serves to render the act effective.

I do not undertake such actions lightly and resist as I may. Others may say that such actions serve as a reminder, for those who live in the depressive void, that one is alive, that they can feel. Yes, I'd have to agree with that but, for me, the liberation of the inner anguish that I endure is my primary thought. Frankly, feeling is something I can be all too capable of and I often try not to feel.

There is nothing perfect in this world. And I hope it's the last.

SP

"IT", 9/9/17, Odeon Glasgow

Based on the Stephen King novel which sees a group of young teenagers (known as The Losers' Club) fight against the otherworldly child-killing evil in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown that looms over their small town of Derry, Maine, and their later return as adults, this new adaptation elects to concentrate on the children and their encounters in the summer of 1989 when the creature they come to know as It awakes from its cyclical slumber to once again feed.

The film has reset events into the years 1988/89 whilst the original novel follows King's own childhood years of the late 50s. The reason for this change is obvious, and the proposed follow up film (which will primarily follow The Losers' Club as adults) will be set in the present, as the novel was when it was published in the 1980s.
No doubt there are those who will compare it with the 1990 television mini-series that starred Tim Curry, but that is really unfair if only because of the inherent limitations a television series must face. Rather, I look upon the film as a new, original, take on a great novel and here treat it as such.

Beware of potential spoilers ahead.

There have been some serious alterations from the novel beyond the time period and whilst most are appropriate and purposeful, there are a few which jar with me; given how much of the novel is spent on the childhood experiences of a summer, the film doesn't spend enough time on these, instead choosing to hint at them and omitting sequences which aid in the set up of the future adults whilst establishing the forming and bonding of the group (the iconic building of the dam, for one) though there are some equivalent reinterpretations present. Even small things such as nicknames ("Haystack" and "Trashmouth") are all but omitted, though the film is littered with easter eggs to other events or details from the novel. 

The biggest alteration is the ultimate form and nature of It which, apparently, the film's director never liked (even the term "deadlights" goes unmentioned). Given the Lovecraftian essence of the creature and the form of the ultimate final confrontation in the novel, I am interested how they intend to approach the finale of the story and how they can better the 1990 mini-series' approach - besides in special effects. Of course, readers of the novel will know the confrontation (the Ritual of Chüd) would be exceedingly difficult to present on film, but I ache for an imaginative reinterpretation of them on celluloid. 

Other inventions that don't quite sit right include Beverly becoming the lure for the boys' descent into the sewers, leading to their confrontation with Pennywise. The teenage Beverly Marsh is a strong character, here and in the novel, and this event diminishes her somewhat. The sense of "damsel in distress" is unfortunate and also lessons the role of Henry Bowers who is the novel's original reason for the entry into the sewers. He and his gang could certainly have featured more than they do.

We do learn that the film's full title is "IT Chapter 1" and I do wonder, however, how many of the changes/inventions that I quibble about will come to some sort of fruition of service in the second chapter. I have been reading articles about proposals for the proposed second feature which are positive but these are inevitably subject to change and until the film is made and released I have to - ultimately - reserve judgement as to what the final outcome will be. 

The film, nonetheless, is a superior King adaptation and is a strong movie in other regards. What it is most successful at is capturing the sense of childhood, innocence and its loss which is one of the most powerful aspects of the novel. The camaraderie between the members of The Losers' Club is palpable and it makes one nostalgic for one's own similar experiences. Director Andy Muschietti succinctly builds characters into multi-dimensional creations with surprisingly very little, no doubt aided by a supremely talented young cast.
The casting of the club members is inspired with Jaeden Lieberher leading the way as an endearing Bill Denbrough. Sophia Lillis' Beverly Marsh is an attractive, deep girl on the cusp of womanhood and her approach to the role is beautifully judged. This could be said of all members of the young cast, who manifest the varying aspects of the children with diversity, honesty and commitment, from Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier to Wyatt Oleff as Stan Uris and all the teens between. Despite limited screen time, and through careful script/editing choices by his director, Nicholas Hamilton as Henry Bowers is able to effortlessly give us a complex school bully, though his fellow gang members are less dimensional. The limited adult cast lend on air of danger when one realises that they are but pawns in It's game and it's a positive that the film revolves utterly around the children and so the adults, appropriately, require far less rounding as characters.
Of course, the most iconic character is Pennywise itself and Bill Skarsgård creates a disturbingly alluring, creepy and original take on one of Stephen King's most infamous characters. The sense of age and corruption he exudes in the role is inherent and his physicality is as inhuman as it is perturbing. 

The film is really quite lean and efficient and could afford a little more padding to afford more character development and history, be it for The Losers' Club members or Henry Bowers and his gang but the pacing is generally well judged. 

The visual palette is dynamic and the production design is beautiful, even in its terror and the re-imagining if It's lair is creative and disturbing, even though it is quite different to what King wrote. Of course, we may yet see even more of It's habitat so there may be surprises yet to come. It is a credit that the use of CGI is actually limited and that the environments were physically created as this lends an air of reality to events, even on their unnaturalness and makes the CGI appropriately more otherworldly when it does crop up.

Another strength is the superb musical score of Benjamin Wallfisch which radiates terror, suspense and - at the opposite end - brief moments of tenderness and warmth and its presence is integral to the success of the movie as a whole.

Despite the loss of some infamous scenes from the novel, "IT " is its own creation and honours the spirit of King's book, even with the deviations and inventions it makes. It is blessed with a stunningly gifted cast and with creatives who, together, create a real, tangible world that contrasts wildly with the terrifying force that intrudes. The film is not "Hollywood glossy" and has no excessive gore but relies on more traditional techniques to build and execute terror. The script is well-crafted and the direction is lithe and un-fussy, aided by sharp editing and that pervasive musical score. "IT" is a return to the greater form of horror movie, whilst never neglecting the essential human characters at its core.

"Blood Brothers", 8/9/17, Glasgow King's Theatre

Bill Kenwright's perennial production of Willy Russel's Blood Brothers returns to Glasgow with Lyn Paul returning to the central role of Mrs Johnstone.

The show is a moral parable that remains surprisingly moving, despite the somewhat odd structure of the show; being made up of occasion poetry, abstract and Brechtian staging together with gritty realism, all to tell the tale of two twins separated at birth after Mrs Johnstone and the woman she works for, Mrs Lyons, strike an unusual bargain. Russel asks whether it is nature or nurture that influences the path a person can take and, whist he offers no real answers, the diverging paths of the twins makes for intriguing viewing.
Russel's compositions are easy on the ear and though there may not be a huge amount of varieties in melody, his lyrics are witty and moving in turns and he has written two of the most emotionally striking songs in "Easy Terms" and the devastating finale, "Tell Me It's Not True". In the hands (or vocal chords) of such a great singer as Lyn Paul these numbers reach new heights.

The cast feature some old favourites including Sean Jones as Mickey and Mark Hutchinson as Eddie (who I first saw in the role more than 20 years ago in London's West End) and both continue to breathe fresh life in the roles whilst the newer additions are mostly as successful, though Sarah Jane Buckley's Mrs Lyons verges more on the melodramatic than appropriate as opposed to  the Narrator of Dean Chisnell which was suitably subtle with a firm, strong voice. Danielle Corlass' Linda is also another acutely measured performance that shines.

Lyn Paul's Mrs Johnstone is an understated, yet precisely attuned acting and physical performance tightly balanced with her stirring and assured vocals. The emotional resonance in her performance is replete and her song delivery can be equally joyous and heart-breaking.

Sadly, the production is starting to show its age and could do with updating starting with the orchestrations which have occasionally been updated since the 1988 West End opening (which was itself updated from the original - non-Kenwright produced - 1982 production's orchestrations). Typically Kenwright neglects to credit the orchestrator but, regardless, the arrangements have become terribly dated and new orchestrations are in order. Also the various pieces of underscore that have also been added throughout the London run need to be examined as the number and effect is excessive in places.
The design by Andy Walmsley, itself slightly updated from the London version, is perfectly serviceable as is the lighting by Nick Richings but it is unfortunate that the performance was marred by a poor sound balance which left the cast barely audible at times whilst the volume of the band became excessive so I do hope this is rectified sooner rather than later.
The direction by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright remains effective - if safe - and I was left wondering how successful a completely new production would be if Kenwright were brave enough to pursue that avenue. But I doubt he will.

Altogether Blood Brothers remains a stirring, emotional and enjoyable production despite the various negative aspects of its aged production. Ultimately it is Russel's material and the cast that elevate the production.

Letter (On Dreams) 10/9/17

The Residence

10/9/17

I have of late been suffering from what I can only call psychosomatic dreams - dreams that leave residual physical symptoms upon waking. 

The details of these dreams are only clear in that fragile state that exists between sleep and awake and once a step is taken into the latter realm the dream is shattered irreparably and I am lucky if I recall the simplest detail.

The clearest detail I do have is from a dream which has yet to reoccur - in it I am at some point pierced in the testicle with a fine, long needle - for what reason I am unsure, though a sense of female retribution hangs over the event - and I awoke with a throbbing ache in the relevant region.

Other symptoms I have awakened with indicate that I had undergone physical exertions in some of my dreams, complete with racing heart.

At other times I have been left feeling emotionally worn out and compromised as though I had undergone some terribly trying trial. 

What these dreams can mean I do not know. But how I welcome their cessation.

SP  

"Jim Steinman's Bat Out Of Hell The Musical", London Coliseum, 22/8/17 (Closing Night)

A monumental, dominating, exuberant production, Jim Steinman's life work realises the promise within his rock and roll fantasies in the temple of imagination that is the theatrical stage and now the end has come and Jim Steinman's Bat Out Of Hell The Musical (to give it its full title) has played its final performance at the London Coliseum. The fact the pre-show sequence was greeted with a standing ovation speaks volumes about how much this production has come to mean to so many different people; Bat Out Of Hell has become more than a musical, more than an experience - for some, it is a way of life.

Jim Steinman has apparently always had a fascination with Peter Pan - something I can relate to - believing it to be naturally equatable with rock music and its ethos. This, tied with his love of grand opera, gave birth to his early attempts to create a musical based on J. M. Barrie's fairy-tale and nearly half a century later these principles still form the fulcrum of Steinman's megalithic musical, the ultimate realisation of all his previous efforts.
Sometime in the future a cataclysmic event has separated the island of Manhattan from the mainland of America, isolating its inhabitants. In the same event a group of teenagers are mysteriously genetically frozen so that they never age a day again. This group form The Lost who are led by eternal rebel Strat, whilst the remaining inhabitants eventually come under the rule of Falco who, in the year 2100, is busy redeveloping the island which has come to be known as Obsidian. The Lost are opposed to much of his plans and the two opposing sides frequently clash.
Each side has their own issues with Falco having to deal with his unhappy, alcohol fueled wife, Sloane, who aches for the passion and freedom of her youth (something Falco also envies of The Lost) and the impending 18th birthday of his rebellious daughter, Raven, who is enamoured with The Lost and their secret lives.
The Lost battle to retain their way of life whilst attempting to deal with their internal relationships; tribe members partner up with each other, some evidently moving from one to the other, whilst adult emotions attempt to make their mark with Jagwire persistently pursuing the exotic Zahara despite her protestations of un-interest in a serious relationship with him.
Strat's best friend, Tink, suffers constant emotional turmoil given the fact he was 'frozen' on the brink of pubescent maturity and he harbours a secret love for his hero and leader which soon turns to jealousy when Strat falls in love with Raven, prompting severe reactions from her father and, sadly, from Tink. It is Strat and Raven's relationship that forms the core of the musical, whilst the other relationships also have to be dealt with.

In presenting three variations of a love story, Steinman enriches his plot and forms a unique triumvirate which can be seen as different facets of love at different stages of life. We also see an outside force acting upon this triumvirate in the form of Tink, who epitomises the darker aspects of unfulfilled love; love gone bad, as it were.
Through all the action and emotional eddies that occur, ultimately it is the rock and roll sensibilities, based on primary emotions, that must win out and, naturally, love and hope are the strongest of these.

Jim Steinman's book is relatively simple and frequently punctuated with his famed word-play and abstract speeches and it is quite a change from the earlier incarnations of Neverland and The Dream Engine in being far more accessible for an audience than the earlier versions of the musical. His retelling of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan is infused with his sexual and rebellious rock and roll sensibility whilst the integration of Steinman's songs are completely organic, generally serving to promote the plot and/or reflect internal feelings whilst often exploding externally.
It is, perhaps, rather misleading to call Bat Out Of Hell a "jukebox" musical - as some have done - since the majority of songs have been created from some incarnation or another of Steinman's Neverland project and therefore suitably reflect the appropriate requirements of a particular scene or moment. Even the 'flashback' scene works utterly in harmony with the nature of the piece. Rather, Bat Out Of Hell is the ultimate development of a musical that has had a number of permutations over the decades. As the saying goes, musicals aren't written - they are rewritten.

Steinman has never thought small and the creative team assembled rise to meet his OTT standards to create a theatrical language and environment that suitably match his otherworldly vision, from the monolithic set which encapsulates the environments of the island city of Obsidian, further enhanced with video projection and some incredibly dynamic lighting that fuses the best elements used in theatre and stadium shows through to the energised and spirited unconventional choreography (which often tells its own story) and the fluid, sometimes abstract, direction which is perfectly paced whilst eloquently presenting the relevant information. The costumes, redesigned following the Manchester run, are also integral to the world and now create a unified vision whereas, in Manchester, a number of pieces stood out glaringly - and not always for the right reason. Altogether a unified visual ideal is promoted that is succinctly attuned to Steinman's material.
The orchestra (or band) are also quite exceptional, breathing new life into Steinman's songs with their dynamic playing of the incredible arrangements and orchestrations that pay homage to the original recordings whilst also serving as fresh, theatrical interpretations. Led by the more than capable Robert Emery they are an equal part in the success of the production and the little nod to the orchestra's presence in the first act is quite brilliant.

The production has undergone some further changes just before closing; changes in dialogue, dialogue cuts and a line or two moved streamline the musical further without damaging the plot at all, though the "mirror" speech omission - cut down a while back - still makes the sole remaining line rather awkward, coming out of nowhere as it does and without any context. Reinstating the speech, or some version of it, would only benefit the scene.
The biggest change is the cutting of the gorgeous "It Just Won't Quit", one of the more mellow songs that added an emotional resonance to proceedings as they stood. Whilst the reworked scene works just as well, and the emotional connection between Strat and Raven easily reaffirmed elsewhere, the song is missed as a gentler number amidst the more frantic ones that dominate the musical score and also as an opportunity to give Raven more musical material. Missed most is the brief moment of Tink singing the final line of the song which further suggested Tink's inner turmoil which ultimately leads to his final choices.

The magnificent cast excelled themselves even further than previously and it's clear that the closing night was an emotional one for all and the company evidently made the most of their final performance with sheer joy on some faces and tears in their eyes as and when appropriate. Danielle Steers' and Dom Hartley-Harris' relationship as Zahara and Jagwire has never been stronger and their connection has never been so heart-warming, no doubt reflecting the fact that Dom is not travelling on to Toronto with the company. Steer's face said it all during their moments together, especially during "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" where it was a case of smiling through the tears. Steers really is something else and is an especially unique find amongst the gifted cast. The emotional and vocal powerhouses extend throughout the company with Rob Fowler's Falco and Sharon Sexton's Sloane continuing to be a dynamic duo whose bitterness and despair spills across the stage as they journey through the disappointments of growing up. Something that Aran MacRae's Tink laments being unable to do. MacRae is the catalyst for several plot points and his is a precisely attuned performance and it's a shame there is not more made out of the character. Christina Bennington surpassed herself as Raven, aching to be free and revelling when the  opportunity arises, while Andrew Polec's dynamo performance as Strat reached new heights, as did his vocal prowess which has never been more assured. His embodiment of Steinman's rock-n-roll ethos is sublime perfection.
Steinman and his creative team could not have wished for a more perfect ensemble and it is one of the greater joys of this production to see a youthful company make fresh claims on Steinman's epic songs and interpret them with new eyes and voices; voices that, unlike many current musicals, are all distinct and unique yet, when blended together, beautifully harmonious.

Looks like The Lost have indeed been found ...

I have, of course, previously written about Bat Out Of Hell and those writings can be found here, here and here.

Finally; it is a shame that, presumably for health-reasons, Jim Steinman could not witness his creation in the flesh and bask in the triumph so deserved. I hope he gets the chance to attend the Toronto production but I, selfishly, am overjoyed to know that the production will be returning to London in 2018 and urge all to buy a ticket when it does!