Musings on art and modern audiences

  The Whodunnit: Cinematic Metaphor The murder mystery. A classic genre in film, television and literature, to which we are indebted for iconic characters like Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. Nothing overly complicated, as far as narrative structure goes, generally speaking: murder is committed, the detective works to find the killer, then at the story’s climax, the hidden plot is revealed in its entirety.  Popular sleuths include such names as Holmes & Watson, Miss Marple, and Poirot At first glance, it might honestly sound quite boring. Why sit through the characters fumbling with red herrings and clutching at straws when you can skip to the end and avoid all the faff in the middle? Instinctively, the phrase “trust the process” comes to mind. It’s true - the final reveal is all the more satisfying when you’ve gone through the parallel process of solving the mystery with the detective by investing in the narrative. You don’t have to be the world’s greates...

  The Northman : no need for translation Adaptations of Shakespeare are many and varied. Recently, however, Robert Eggers’ The Northman has thrown something of a spanner in the works. Whilst it's typical to encounter Shakespeare through a veil - Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona in 10 Things I Hate About You , for example - it’s unusual for us to be presented with narratives which Shakespeare himself took influence from. Eggers’ film does exactly that, and tells the story of Prince Amleth, an Icelandic legend on which Shakespeare based his Hamlet .  The endurance of the essential story is just more evidence of the magic of stories and the power of adaptation. How can a story, told time and time again, remain new and exciting hundreds - even thousands - of years after it was first told? In the case of The Northman , it’s curious that its appeal comes largely from its dark themes and intense violence. In other words, its appeal is the animalism of a distant past and foreign land f...

Author's note: I do not condone the alleged actions of Wednesday actor Percy Hynes-White, including but not restricted to sexual assault, grooming and racism. I hope these issues will be resolved peacefully and fairly. This post is not interested in the private activities of Wednesday 's actors, and instead very much interested in what the show, as a public piece of media, has to offer its audiences. Wednesday : politically engaging in discussions about racism and segregation whilst telling a great story It’s safe to say Tim Burton’s Wednesday has been a big hit with audiences of all ages. Whether you necessarily enjoyed it, or thought the show was deserving of its hype, Wednesday locates an iconic, kooky character (and family) in a modern world. Burton’s show creates a segregated society on screen and asks us to critique the systems which enforce social hierarchy. It explores the Mexican ancestry of the Addams family, connecting Wednesday with her distant relative, Goody Ad...

Writing a spoiler alert for this post feels slightly stupid. Everyone has encountered some form of the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ story - likely in film, possibly in ballet, and probably through Tchaikovsky’s score (used initially for the ballet, but also in Walt Disney’s 1959 animated film). It’s worth being aware, nonetheless, that Sir Matthew Bourne’s adaptation of the classic story is pretty unique, so a spoiler alert has a legitimate use.  I was fortunate enough to attend a performance of Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty recently and whilst it was truly spectacular, it opened my eyes to some interesting dilemmas in adaptation. Really what struck me about the production was how much it strove to be unlike any rendition of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ which has come before it. It’s clear the extent to which this production aspires to be the fresh take. Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty is a highly self-conscious adaptation. Take the promotional posters, for example. The production’s subtitle “A Gothic Romance” i...