Most bizarre liberties taken with source material in a theatre adaptation?- Page 2

[jwsel]

Posted: 8/19/15 at 3:27am

Steven Berkoff directed and starred in a production of Oscar Wilde's Salome at the National Theatre.  Inspired by Japanese Kabuki, it was done entirely in slow motion.  Twenty-five years later, I can still hear the opening line:  "The Moooooooooooon loooooooks straaaa-ange toniiiiiiiight."

Can't say it wasn't memorable.  Painful to sit through, but memorable.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 8/19/15 at 3:53am

Most comical was a production of The Drowsy Chaperone that added around 100 chorus people who appeared out of nowhere for the big numbers. Were they just party crashers at Mrs. Tottendale's?

I can see this as the big chorus Man In Chair imagines as he listens to the recording.  Not that bizarre.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 8/19/15 at 4:22am

"Steven Berkoff directed and starred in a production of Oscar Wilde's Salome at the National Theatre.  Inspired by Japanese Kabuki, it was done entirely in slow motion.  Twenty-five years later, I can still hear the opening line:  "The Moooooooooooon loooooooks straaaa-ange toniiiiiiiight."

 

Can't say it wasn't memorable.  Painful to sit through, but memorable."

 

Maybe you mean Japanese Noh drama? That's the very, very slow form, inspired by Zen Buddhism. Kabuki is more like a traditional American musical with all its variety. In Noh it is the movement that is slow, because it is a dance-drama. As far as I know, the words (about 7 pages per hour) are spoken at more ore less normal speed.

 

A Noh SALOME isn't a bad idea, but it would have to be done amazingly well to work. I

[vassey]

Posted: 8/19/15 at 4:58am

There is a UK tour of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca going around atm. It is totally rewritten by the director to reflect strong females and the Cornish coast. Really.

The famous opening scene, "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley" cuts to the Welsh manservant, played by a woman, running around and answering the phone, telling everyone about his mother's dry vagina and special cream from the doctor. Seriously.

Later on, Beatrice and her husband become Wilson Keppel and Betty and perform a sand dance.............. Everyone sings sea shanties, the party becomes an orgy in the bushes outside Manderley. At the end, Mrs de Winter becomes possessed by the spirit of Rebecca and the curtain drops down.

And the audience loved it. I despair - why adapt a famous book/film if you are just going to write your own plot?