Monthly culture: May 2020

[tamaranth]

Belated and incomplete, but c'est la vie nouveau.

02MAY20: Frankenstein (Nick Dear / Mary Shelley)
A play based on Shelley's novel, but very much the creature's story rather than his creators. Nurture, not nature, makes the creature monstrous. Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller in the two primary roles: the NT broadcast both versions, and I watched them both. (First saw Jonny Lee Creature; really animalistic, with Cumberbatch's scientist somewhat priggish. Then watched the reverse casting: Cumbercreature more human, curious rather than frightened.)
This version had been edited for broadcast. There was no nudity, and they'd cut the rape scene. On the one hand, this was a relief: I had been braced for and dreading it. On the other ... it's a pivotal moment in the play, and the way it was cut didn't make it clear what had actually happened, so it lost impact.
Also wasn't keen on having so many scenes filmed from above. I prefer the illusion of being there.

08MAY20: Julius Caesar (Shakespeare)
Free via Amazon Prime: filmed version of the all-black production at the Bridge, with Patterson Joseph as Caesar. Very powerful acting, and some actors had accents that really suited the rhythm of the lines. This is still far from my favourite of Shakespeare's plays but this production brought the text to life.

09MAY20: Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare)
Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo in the title roles: Okonedo brought out the playful capriciousness of Cleopatra, and Fiennes' Antony felt world-weary, sick of battle.

23MAY20: A Streetcar Named Desire (Tennessee Williams)
Gillian Anderson is worth watching, and her Southern accent is remarkable -- just this side of parody. But this is such a bleak play that even my Chromebook rebelled with a lot of buffering.

30MAY20: This House (James Graham)
I hadn't expected to enjoy this play, which focusses on the Labour government 1974-79, but I found it very moving and unexpectedly heroic: it's about honour in politics -- anyone remember that? -- as much it's about the constant deal-making, compromise and reversals of Parliament. Horribly evocative of the 1970s (I remember some of these events) with an excellent live soundtrack that featured Phil Daniels singing Bowie's 'Five Years'.
I watched this in the virtual company of several ex or current civil servants: apparently it was a huge nostalgia trip and very accurate.
Fun, if horrific, fact: James Graham was born in 1982.

Also watched, enjoyed at the time but have no lasting thoughts on:
15MAY20: Two Noble Kinsmen (Fletcher & Shakespeare)
16MAY20: Barber Shop Chronicles (Inua Ellams)
??MAY20: A Doll's House (Ibsen) -- the Lyric production, reset in colonial India, that I saw last year.

Comments

[coth]

We saw Miller as Creature (only) and enjoyed the production, but felt story much simplified for stage and only one of possible interpretations. Not having seen it on stage I didn't remember enough to worry about a rape.

This House was marvellous fun, and ought to be on 'A' level British Constitution syllabuses.

[ivorygoddess]

That's odd. I saw both iterations of Frankenstein at the cinema a few years back, and I seem to remember a rape scene. Makes me think it's a recent cut?

[ivorygoddess]

Oh, probably 'cos it's a non-cinema broadcast so they can't stop younger viewers being present.