David Almond’s young adult best-seller turns its myth into a stage reality through this new adaptation by the Pilot Theatre Company, currently touring across the UK. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if its discordant narrative was actually music to his ears.
Lore dwells within ourselves. It’s either a part of us or we’re a part of it. We all carry some mysteries over our shoulders – and probably, more hidden underneath. They haunt us, obsess us, sometimes, even destroy us. There’s no bigger legend that those which target what our souls need the most – especially, when they’ve been broken by it. It’s often said that love can save us. But too many times, we find the complete opposite. Yet again, there are moments when the only way to get what we dream of is to go through the nightmare first.
David Almond’s haunting narrative takes a new turn in its already tangled path – jumping from the page and onto the stage in the young-blood earnest hands of the Pilot Theatre Company. Penned by Zoe Cooper and under the direction of Esther Richardson, A Song for Ella Grey takes the mystique of Almond’s work into a memorable piece of visual richness – creating an inviting, transporting universe based on simplicity and suggestion, acting as the main force (and strength) for what results in a remarkably intricate and intelligent depiction of its adventurous journey.
With set designs by Verity Quinn, the production’s values are, by far, the most praiseworthy element of the whole experience – able to both evoke while also provide us with enough inputs to create a most detailed picture both before our eyes and inside our minds. A great deal of its success must be credited to Chris Davey, however – devising what’s probably the best lighting you will find in any theatre for a long time: complex yet straightforward, delicate but tenacious, and all in all, incredibly atmospheric – to a point that, depending on your sensitivities, you may end up focusing on his work alone on some occasions.
Not much of the same can be said about the writing, most sadly. Though regaling us with a compelling plot, and featuring more than a few interesting scenes, its storytelling doesn’t manage to fully grasp us – sometimes relying on too much exposition and preventing the action from moving forward at the necessary speed, some others not giving enough introspection to the personages’ evolution. It’s enjoyable, but not sufficiently enticing (some cuts would be advisable) – and in general, it feels as if its ethereal recount dealing with matters of the heart is still searching for its own one.
Such problems are smoothed out, nonetheless, by its much refreshing cast, with some of them exuding outstanding character actor skills. Among them, Jonathan Iceton gives one of the most notable performances as Jay (and many others), boasting flair, naturalness and confidence in his several different renditions – displaying, at all times, a total transformation when moving seamlessly from role to role. A similar mention can be made about Beth Crame, giving a most thrilling portrayal of her, once again, multiple parts – all of them endowed with the upmost appeal and sincerity.
A tale of loss, gain and sorrow, A Song For Ella Grey manages to wrap us under its empyrean essence from an early start, but presents too many holes letting such power evaporate. It has allure, but so far it doesn’t translate into that steady grip that can keep us connected, touched and beguiled all the way to the end. The problem may stem from the book, perhaps, but that should never be an excuse when revising a previous work – at the end of the day, that’s, in part, what adaptations are for. The potential is there, and it could be huge. But for this piece to finally speak (or even, sing) to us, it requires meticulous tuning beforehand.
A Song For Ella Grey was performed this week at the Theatre Peckham and is currently on tour across the UK. Tickets and upcoming venues information are available on the following link.