THEATRE: A complete portrait of the artist as James Joyce's novel reaches the stage
Emily Carmichael as Stephen Dedalus
Published: 12 July, 2012
by OANA CRISAN
A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN
Pentameters Theatre
Tom Neil’s adaptation of James Joyce’s semi-autobiographical novel bravely succeeds in bringing Joyce’s modernist stream of consciousness to the London stage.
Occupying a sparse but intimate set, five actors – Emily Carmichael, Georgina Periam, Victoria Porter, Peter Saracen and Paul Taylor – seamlessly switch between roles, with only Carmichael, as the hero Stephen Dedalus, playing the same part in every scene.
Casting a female actor as Stephen draws out the sensitive, feminine aspects of the character, as he makes his way in a sometimes-brutal world.
The play, like the novel, charts the growth of Stephen’s artistic development, from a childhood rooted in Irish nationalism and Catholic dogma, to rebellion, maturity and self-imposed exile.
Neil’s challenge was to bring Joyce’s innovative stream of consciousness from the written page to a visual medium.
Scenes of frenetic montage bombard the audience at the start, as we plunge into Stephen’s infant mind, but gradually his inner world steadies and takes shape.
Flashes of traditional music, partly composed by the director himself, accompany the action.
By the close of the play, which compresses the entire novel into an hour and 15 minutes, the portrait of the artist is complete.
In the final, uplifting, scene, Stephen grows wings and takes metaphorical flight, both from the restrictions of his native land, and towards the great accomplishments of a mature artist. It is a remarkable journey.
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