Soul, I hear you calling
Sep. 23rd, 2023 04:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
regshoeI am very grateful for the not-entirely-rule-abiding generosity of the NTS for giving me a chance to watch Kidnapped again. Seeing it live was the best thing that's happened to me this year, but getting to see it a) a second time and b) in comfortable, stress-free surroundings and with the volume adjusted to suit me really enabled me to appreciate it in more detail.
It's even better than I remembered. ♥ Like Ebenezer Balfour, I am now a totally reformed character. I am no longer a curmudgeonly book purist*; adaptation can depart greatly from the letter of the original text while perfectly embodying and celebrating its living spirit, and what a spirit it is here. I love it.
*Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2015) is still bad, though, sorry.
I think I was too hard on the play's plot logic and some of the adaptational choices in my first review! I definitely missed stuff, including a lot of the explanation of why some of the new things were happening (there is a perfectly good reason how and why Davie can get as far as Aucharn without knowing that he's following Alan; there's a whole ominous bit where Alan conspicuously tells that treacherous MacPherson how big the reward for turning in him and Davie is, and refers to Davie as a 'Campbell'). I could get more of the jokes! And in general I could understand more of what it was doing and see the shape of the story better. I acknowledge there are choices made that could be criticised—I would say I'm still slightly disappointed at the loss of a more book-accurate quarrel, but I can also see why they did it the way they did—but also it's perfect and I won't hear a word said against it.
It was interesting to see what I remembered perfectly, what I misremembered and what I'd totally forgotten (e.g. one, one and three of the OC sailors' names, respectively; sorry, Barry, I'll get that right in the final draft...). There were some really excellent details in various places that I'd missed, or just about got but wasn't sure of. That treacherous MacPherson played by Christina Gordon (who looks pretty hot in that Campbell tartan costume; sorry, Alan) is named Rob Og! Clearly not exactly the same character from the book, but apparently a reference if the line about 'what would your father say' is significant—that's another bit of referring to things from the book that didn't actually make it in, which is nice. That bit towards the end where Davie repeats lines from the original Very Significant Promise to Alan in a new context... argh, that's a lovely piece of interpretation. I'm not sure how I managed to recognise 'The Gambler' on its second appearance but not its first, especially considering the second is shorter and less like the original. Oh, well.
Speaking of which, I appreciated the music a lot more now that I actually know all the songs! Thank you very much to M. for that playlist. Again, I think the songs actually fit the plot and characters better than I initially realised in some ways; they're thoughtful choices; and I like the little mini-reprises, often in small instrumental bits played as background music, sometimes before a song's main appearance. The sailors serenading Alan and Davie on the ship with bits of 'Only You' is adorable.
I gather that the accent Malcolm Cumming uses for Alan (which I had initially noticed was a bit different to the range of Scottish accents I otherwise recognise) is indeed a West Highland accent, and I wasn't familiar with that at all so it's nice to hear what it really sounds like. I have no idea how authentic/accurate Kim Ismay's American accent as Frances is, and would like to hear from any American fans who can comment on that!
I also highly recommend the behind-the-scenes videos under 'Resources' on the Education Portal (which don't require a login). These go into some detail on the choices made and how the creators see the story, and I think while I don't totally agree with every detail it has really deepened my appreciation for the play and what it's doing. And there are so many more amazing things said about Alan/Davie by multiple parties, oh my goodness. (I haven't even watched the one with Ryan J. MacKay and Malcolm Cumming yet—saving the one that'll probably have the most about Davie and Alan in it till last...)
Speaking of which:
[I am never, ever, ever getting over that scene. My OTP! 'Canon' is only the half of it!]
Davie and Alan are utterly lovely! I definitely got that before, of course, but it's worth saying again here. I love how warm their relationship is, how physically comfortable they are together and how much they touch each other in various significant ways at significant moments.
As for that ending... Well, I have a lot of feelings about the ending, which, while I think the emotions do get enough space to develop, goes fast enough that it really benefits from a second viewing and e.g. thinking about the things Frances is saying rather than just going :O :O ♥ ♥ at Davie and the reunion (but still doing that very much as well, of course). It's beautifully done. And Alan and Davie together in their final appearance... ♥ ♥
The whole thing is just so joyful and beautiful.
It's even better than I remembered. ♥ Like Ebenezer Balfour, I am now a totally reformed character. I am no longer a curmudgeonly book purist*; adaptation can depart greatly from the letter of the original text while perfectly embodying and celebrating its living spirit, and what a spirit it is here. I love it.
*Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2015) is still bad, though, sorry.
I think I was too hard on the play's plot logic and some of the adaptational choices in my first review! I definitely missed stuff, including a lot of the explanation of why some of the new things were happening (there is a perfectly good reason how and why Davie can get as far as Aucharn without knowing that he's following Alan; there's a whole ominous bit where Alan conspicuously tells that treacherous MacPherson how big the reward for turning in him and Davie is, and refers to Davie as a 'Campbell'). I could get more of the jokes! And in general I could understand more of what it was doing and see the shape of the story better. I acknowledge there are choices made that could be criticised—I would say I'm still slightly disappointed at the loss of a more book-accurate quarrel, but I can also see why they did it the way they did—but also it's perfect and I won't hear a word said against it.
It was interesting to see what I remembered perfectly, what I misremembered and what I'd totally forgotten (e.g. one, one and three of the OC sailors' names, respectively; sorry, Barry, I'll get that right in the final draft...). There were some really excellent details in various places that I'd missed, or just about got but wasn't sure of. That treacherous MacPherson played by Christina Gordon (who looks pretty hot in that Campbell tartan costume; sorry, Alan) is named Rob Og! Clearly not exactly the same character from the book, but apparently a reference if the line about 'what would your father say' is significant—that's another bit of referring to things from the book that didn't actually make it in, which is nice. That bit towards the end where Davie repeats lines from the original Very Significant Promise to Alan in a new context... argh, that's a lovely piece of interpretation. I'm not sure how I managed to recognise 'The Gambler' on its second appearance but not its first, especially considering the second is shorter and less like the original. Oh, well.
Speaking of which, I appreciated the music a lot more now that I actually know all the songs! Thank you very much to M. for that playlist. Again, I think the songs actually fit the plot and characters better than I initially realised in some ways; they're thoughtful choices; and I like the little mini-reprises, often in small instrumental bits played as background music, sometimes before a song's main appearance. The sailors serenading Alan and Davie on the ship with bits of 'Only You' is adorable.
I gather that the accent Malcolm Cumming uses for Alan (which I had initially noticed was a bit different to the range of Scottish accents I otherwise recognise) is indeed a West Highland accent, and I wasn't familiar with that at all so it's nice to hear what it really sounds like. I have no idea how authentic/accurate Kim Ismay's American accent as Frances is, and would like to hear from any American fans who can comment on that!
I also highly recommend the behind-the-scenes videos under 'Resources' on the Education Portal (which don't require a login). These go into some detail on the choices made and how the creators see the story, and I think while I don't totally agree with every detail it has really deepened my appreciation for the play and what it's doing. And there are so many more amazing things said about Alan/Davie by multiple parties, oh my goodness. (I haven't even watched the one with Ryan J. MacKay and Malcolm Cumming yet—saving the one that'll probably have the most about Davie and Alan in it till last...)
Speaking of which:
This is gonna take a long time, and I wonder what's mine[I am on the floor, sobbing]
Can't take no more
Hoping that you'll understand it's just the touch of your hand
Behind a closed door
[I am never, ever, ever getting over that scene. My OTP! 'Canon' is only the half of it!]
Davie and Alan are utterly lovely! I definitely got that before, of course, but it's worth saying again here. I love how warm their relationship is, how physically comfortable they are together and how much they touch each other in various significant ways at significant moments.
As for that ending... Well, I have a lot of feelings about the ending, which, while I think the emotions do get enough space to develop, goes fast enough that it really benefits from a second viewing and e.g. thinking about the things Frances is saying rather than just going :O :O ♥ ♥ at Davie and the reunion (but still doing that very much as well, of course). It's beautifully done. And Alan and Davie together in their final appearance... ♥ ♥
The whole thing is just so joyful and beautiful.
no subject
Date: Sep. 23rd, 2023 09:52 pm (UTC)I'm surprised you didn't recognise the music! I knew every song, and was thinking that whoever picked it must be about the same age as me.
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Date: Sep. 24th, 2023 11:43 am (UTC)the dramatic thing where he pretended to change sides worked SO WELL. Absolute fanfic fodder.
Oh, it really did :D I loved that, and Alan's reaction. (And I would totally read fic about it!)
I am a) a bit younger and b) pretty ignorant of pop(ular) music in general—the only ones I actually knew beforehand were the country songs, which I suppose is where it overlapped my mostly-folk taste.
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