Forgive me, Mr Father, for I have sinned by absolutely loving this show! You’ll know what I mean by this when you do watch the show, which will be shown from 18th-23rd August at ‘theSpace on the Mile,’ Space 1, during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Credit: SUSU Theatre Group
Last week, I watched the Theatre Group adaptation of George Bailey’s play ‘Caligari’. Partially based on Robert Wienes’s ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’, this expressionist play follows two men in Weimar Germany, Francis (Melis Ensert) and Alan (Saskia Bindloss), who compete for the love of their friend, Jane (Belle Priestly). To nurture their attraction, they both attend a town fair, wherein a mysterious hypnotist named Caligari (Tyler Raynes) presents a certain spectacle- a somnambulist named Cesare (Tezni Williams) who can predict anybody’s future. Caligari invites anyone in the crowd to ask Cesare a question. Alan jumps with urgency. Francis protests. Alan manages to ask Cesare how long he will live, to which the latter replies, “Until dawn tomorrow.” Cue a reaction of wide-eyed horror. The very next morning, Alan is found dead. What follows is a thorough and desperate investigation into who is murdering the locals, and how Caligari and Cesare are unusually connected to each other. In this stage adaptation, a chorus tells the story, unfolding their own attachment to the villainous (or are they fully?) duo.
Credit: SUSU Theatre Group
The play’s Goodreads premise describes it as a story that “exposes parallels between post-war Weimar and the UK an ever-widening class divide, a subconscious need for a tyrant, and an unwillingness to rebel against deranged authority.” While this description of a passive nation refusing to rebel bears similarity to the original movie’s premise, I personally took away a powerful sense of rebellious hope when watching.
When I walked into Building 34, what I noticed was a minimalistic- but nevertheless, arcane- set, curated by Morgan Allen. A large box with a dark curtain was placed backstage centre, where Cesare would occasionally emerge and hide again. Flanking the set in a rectangular arrangement (minus a backstage side), were chairs that audience members (me included) sat on, which added to the immersion effectively. At the beginning, narrators A (Charlotte Pearce), B (Toby Walden), C (Emily Norman), and D (Zayn Khan) open the story as a chorus. This drove home the idea of needing to tell this story urgently, to real people, in an excellently effective and immersive way, especially since each chorus member would deliberately eye those sitting in these chairs with a sense of urgency and mystery. Well done to Morgan for the creative arrangement, and to the chorus’ actors for developing very nuanced and three-dimensional character arcs. This gradual unfolding of motivations, hope, fears, disagreements and more hope was pulled off super believably. Saskia, Melis and Belle also deserve the utmost appreciation for playingly a convincingly tight-knit trio of friends who get caught up in Caligari’s tyranny.
Credit: SUSU Theatre Group
The set’s minimalism also successfully focalised Tyler’s performance as Caligari. I thought that the simplicity allowed for a very maximalist, quirky, and fierce character to fully unfold. What I also loved was Cesare’s simple, but effective prop- a red ribbon. This was something aesthetically beautiful that was also used to imitate gushing blood when Cesare targets people on Caligari’s behalf. The slasher-esque quality that this gave off- alongside the actors’ performances- was simultaneously shocking and pretty.
The costuming was also amazing, especially Cesare’s- a cross between a Jack in the Box outfit and Wee Willie Winkie pyjamas. The silky texture and vibrant colours stood out against the set, and made the character appear mysterious and otherworldly. Caligari’s red jacket was also memorable, and added to the modernist, Zoltar-funfair-esque aesthetic of the play. The makeup? Impeccable. The swirls and colours on each character- for both the play and its promotional material- added a psychedelic texture to everything that I really liked.
One thing I absolutely adored the most-and was pleasantly surprised by- was the use of metafiction, something which I gladly ranted about afterwards to the directors, Kat Fevyer and Lily Akers. The unfolding (I can’t say exactly what, go see it!) expressed the timeless hope of making one’s story heard, even if it feels impossible that the recipient won’t just listen, but act too. I also really enjoyed the coordination of pacing, which made sure that a great balance was maintained between including every character’s facets, and not extending it to the point of adding filler. The play was under one hour, so it’s action packed!
Credit: SUSU Theatre Group
Overall, SUSU Theatre Group has adapted this metafictional piece into an eventful, colorful, and hypnotic treat! The bold performances, the humour, the full-circle plotline, and the set are why I’m giving this 5 stars. I am sure that Anna Wildgust, the tour manager, will do a great job coordinating the play in Edinburgh Festival Fringe with the directors et al.
