This stage adaptation has its merits, but will disappoint those looking for the strong messages of book or film.
A Clockwork Orange hits the stage with flamboyant grace and stonkingly excellent sound design, but misses the mark for audience expectation of challenging depictions of violence and societal collapse.
The underground appeal of Burgess’s novella lay with an audience of disaffected youth who saw the appeal of expression through ultra-violence and the hooliganism of young gangs, as well as the menace of the removal of free will by an oppressive state regime.
Stanley Kubrick’s movie later made the title known to a wider audience, but struck a nerve by removing the layer of argot that had moderated the violence in the book and displayed the ultra-violence in a choreographed and highly edited manner, shocking audience imaginations.
The Action To The Word stage production uses Burgess’ script for stage version to follow the adventures of Alex, from his ultraviolent escapades with his droogs, to his incarceration, experimental treatment with the Ludovico technique and early release, his issues with the world of freedom and eventual self-discovery of the joys of “growing up”. While the actors use the Nadsat language with admirable fluency, overall this stage adaptation lacks the confrontational clout of the previous incarnations.
The episodes are opportunities for impressive displays of fluid dance moves and sinuous displays of well-toned flesh enhanced with intricate sound and light work. The simplification of detail demanded by the stage production leaves room for the priest’s character to argue for the virtues of choice in making a human being, but not much else.
Director Alexandra Spencer-Jones chose Burgess’s script which echoes his vision for a morality play for our times, but in a demonstration of the “death of the author” this is not necessarily the aspect of his work that his readership have associated with it.
Martin McCreadie (Alex) amazed with his strong displays of physical control, dramatic range and ability to maintain a compelling stage presence for the entire 90 minutes of frenetic action. All actors displayed lovely accent work, keeping the action appropriately located around Manchester, with suitably foreign accents separating the grown ups from the young delinquents. Apart from Alex, all cast members had multiple roles, each played with admirably quick changes and clear distinctions.
The dance work was simply marvellous. Inspired choreography and individual skill and ability of each and every cast member made for a visual feast. While the first dance/fight scene was surprisingly reminiscent of a rumble from West Side Story, once the work was accepted on gentler terms than expected the innovative moves and deftly interpretive actions lifted the piece to a higher level of song and dance theatre.
Spencer-Jones writes of the topical relevance of the piece in light of the recent riots in England. Developing this angle would have made the production far more interesting on several levels – merely referencing the riots by a photo held up in the course of Ludovico treatment and dressing some minor characters in hoodies was hardly hard-hitting. Her decision to use an all-male cast, with some tweaks to character gender, was interesting and did not change the dynamics of the narrative.
A beautiful piece of interpretative movement, a masterful mouthful of Nadsat and a strong argument for the choice between good and evil, A Clockwork Orange falls short in the thought-provoking stakes despite being a visually sumptuous piece of dance theatre.
Rating: 4 stars
Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange
Presented by Les Currie and Glynis Henderson Productions with Action To The Word
Writer: Anthony Burgess
Director & Choreographer: Alexandra Spencer-Jones
Lighting Designer: James Baggaley
Combat: Lewis Penfold
Choreography of Billy Boy Sequence: Hannah Lee
Associate Director: Maddy Mutch
Production Stage Manager: Matthew Henderson
Performed by Martin McCreadie, Neil Chinneck, Simon Cotton, Damien Hasson, Philip Honeywell, James Meryk, Stephen Spencer, Will Stokes, James Smoker and Eddie Usher.
Subiaco Arts Centre, Subiaco
8 -19 May 2013
