Playing with Prose Adapting Novels for the Stage
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Playing with Prose Adapting Novels for the Stage Institute of Modern Languages Research & Institute of English Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU Wednesday 9 & Thursday 10 October 2019 Room 246, Senate House, 10:00-17:00 A two-day workshop for university students led by Jack Tarlton “Reading a novel and watching an adaptation of that novel in the theatre are two very distinct experiences. The first is private, the reader using their own imagination fuelled by the writer’s words to create the characters and landscapes, locating and exploring themes and following the narrative thrust. The second is communal and collaborative. We sit with others and collectively engage with a story that is being told to us by other people using language, movement, music, lighting and sound, people who have in turn been inspired by the original writer’s work. But both are imaginative acts that move us and make us think in a myriad of ways. Creating Playing for Prose for Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich in 2017 I became interested in two fundamental questions – Why and How? Why adapt a book for the stage and how do we adapt a book for the stage? To help answer these questions I interviewed some of the UK’s leading theatre practitioners - Melly Still, Simon Stephens, Leo Warner, Stephen Sharkey and Jonathan Humphreys – and these interviews form the spine of the workshop as we look at their work in greater detail, including - Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin, adapted by Helen Edmunsen & directed by Melly Still for the National Theatre, Broadway & Bristol Old Vic The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time By Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens & directed by Marianne Elliot for the National Theatre, West End, Broadway, UK & US Tours & International Productions City of Glass by Paul Auster, adapted by Duncan McMillan & directed by Leo Warner for 59 Productions, HOME Manchester and the Lyric Hammersmith The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy, adapted by Stephen Sharkey & directed by Jonathan Humphreys for Attic Theatre Company 1 As an actor I am able to bring my unique perspective of having collaborated on and played lead roles in the original productions of Coram Boy, City of Glass and The Death of Ivan Ilyich. The two-day event will culminate in the sharing of short scenes based on prose work written, directed and performed by the students. All that is needed to participate in Playing with Prose is a real interest in the subject matter and a sense of adventure.” Jack Tarlton Coram Boy Coram Boy is a book for young people by Jamila Gavin set in 18th century England. First published in 2000 it deals with child slavery, poverty, class divide, faith, love, families and the formation of the Coram orphanage. It is drenched in folklore and music and is the most brilliantly exciting adventure story. It became the National Theatre’s Christmas show in 2005, returning the following year before a run on Broadway and a more recent revival for the Bristol Old Vic. All productions were directed by Melly Still and the play was adapted by Helen Edmundson following her success with literary adaptations for Shared Experience. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Published in 2005 Mark Haddon’s book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time tells of Christopher Boone, a 15 year old boy on the autism spectrum who finds his neighbour’s dog killed by a garden fork and decides to discover who the murderer is. Playwright Simon Stephens adapted it for the National Theatre in 2012 where it was a huge success, transferring from the Cottlesloe studio to the West End and Broadway. 2 City of Glass City of Glass is the first novella in Paul Auster’s New York Trilogy, his first major work that was published in 1985. A metaphysical neo-noir detective story it follows Daniel Quinn, a writer of mystery novels who is languishing and isolated after the death of his wife and child. He ends up involved in a bizarre case involving a young man who has been locked in a room for 9 years by his father in the hope of discovering the language of God. It explores grief, love, faith and the very meaning of language. Believed unstageable and unfilmable for many years Leo Warner wanted to make it his first project as director for 59 Productions, the company he founded to specialise in projection, design, lighting and sound. The Death of Ivan Ilyich First appearing in 1886 The Death of Ivan Ilyich is Leo Tolstoy’s bracing account of one man’s life, illness and death, terrifying in its description of physical decay and mental and spiritual turmoil. For his first production as Artistic Director of Attic Theatre Company Jonathan Humphreys was struck by its dramatic potential and keen to see if it could be adapted into a one-man play. Playwright and prolific adapter Stephen Sharkey took the linear nature of the story and abstracted it so that Ivan could tell his own story from after the point of his death. Maximum of 20 students Registration: £5 https://modernlanguages.sas.ac.uk/events/event/20193 3 .