Very important news about Kidnapped

[regshoe]

Thanks very much to sanguinity for sending me the link to this... so apparently, the National Theatre of Scotland are putting on an adaptation of Kidnapped with canon Alan/Davie next year.

My feelings about this are, er, somewhat mixed. To begin with I am boggling, first at the fact that a respectable major theatre company are making a mainstream actual adaptation that makes a non-canonical m/m ship canon, and secondly at how casually they're announcing it—there's no 'wow, look, they're making it gay!' about that article, it's just one of several things about the production described. Perhaps my expectations are stuck too far in the past! In any case, it's a lovely and cheering thing to see and I'm very glad.

...and I could still wish it was happening to a ship and canon I didn't care about quite so much, because of course, on the other hand, there is my general belief that adaptations are bad and disappointing and mostly to be avoided. On the third hand, this is theatre rather than film or TV, and it seems to me that a stage adaptation is less susceptible to some of the pitfalls of screen adaptations, and that in any case theatre seems... less definite? less direct? in a way that'll make it easier to disassociate from the book and see as its own thing. And this production does sound like they're taking quite a few liberties with mood, style and trappings, which will help with that.

Well then, so that leaves the question of should I go and see it??? I absolutely could—it'd mean a certain amount of travel, but not an impossible amount. And of course being theatre, it's time-limited and you have to go and see it now if you're going to see it at all, I can't muddle about and indecisively avoid a commitment like I've been doing with the Flight of the Heron TV series for three years... Well, I'll give it some more thought, but I really think I might...

Anyway! Thoughts? Reactions? Anyone else want to go and see it? (with me, if I do go?)...

Comments

[sanguinity]

I would love to go see it with you, but alas, I am eight time-zones away and not of the class that hops on a private jet for a night at the theater...

[regshoe]

That is a big disadvantage of theatre, alas :( I do hope they make a recording!

[luzula]

I second sanguinity's comment! I mean, I am quite a bit closer, but it's still three days of rail travel, since I don't fly... (Aaargh, why did they close down those Göteborg-Newcastle ferry lines?? Otherwise I might have done it.)

Would really love to see it, though! I agree that theatre is more easily seen as its own thing, especially as the style of this seems different. And I don't think I have quite the same emotional investment in this canon as you do, though I am fond of it--I mean, I have already seen one movie of it, which I would never do with FotH.

[regshoe]

It is such a shame about that ferry (and I could have used it in the other direction, too!).

Yes, the style sounds like it's not at all trying to be a faithful adaptation or very much like the book, but a much broader interpretation of its spirit—which will hopefully be fun to see as its own thing.

[theseatheseatheopensea]

I know what you mean about potentially disappointing adaptations. I try to think of them as AUs, or just different interpretations of canon, a bit like fanfic, and that can help! But I hope you get to see this one anyway! It sounds really lovely and groundbreaking that they have decided to do it as a m/m romcom! I mean, the book pretty much is one, right? <3

[regshoe]

Hee, it totally is! And you're very right about adaptations—and I think it helps that this one seems to be intended as a sort of AU anyway (and, returning to the romcom comment, they've clearly got one thing about the interpretation right :D ).

[ysilme]

I totally get your reasons! For me, the deciding point would be how much I'd regret it if I didn't go and later found out I'd wanted to see it after all.

[regshoe]

That is a good way of putting it—I would always be wondering what it would have been like... I am leaning towards going now, I think!

[friendofthejabberwock]

If you do decide to go, I'd love to read your thoughts on it! (I'm in the US so there's unfortunately no way I could make it.) That said, I totally understand your trepidations.

[regshoe]

If I do go I will definitely write up my impressions of it here! And I am leaning towards going now, I think...

[rachelmanija]

Huh, wow. I would love to see it but I'm in the wrong country.

[regshoe]

The geographical limitation is a drawback of theatre! I'll definitely write up my thoughts here if I do go.

[sovay]

Anyone else want to go and see it? (with me, if I do go?)...

I'd be fascinated, but only if they stream it!

(Notes like "in the role of a spirit guide to the protagonist" and "denim-clad Americana, late 90s love songs, art rock, protest anthems, 80s synth-pop, Gaelic folk song and more" suggests to me that there is no way that this version will supplant the construction of Kidnapped inside your head. Even if you hate it, it shouldn't interfere.)

[regshoe]

Oh dear, there seem to be many people who would like to see it but can't—I hope they do a recording!

(Notes like "in the role of a spirit guide to the protagonist" and "denim-clad Americana, late 90s love songs, art rock, protest anthems, 80s synth-pop, Gaelic folk song and more" suggests to me that there is no way that this version will supplant the construction of Kidnapped inside your head. Even if you hate it, it shouldn't interfere.)

XD That is very true.

[tgarnsl]

Depending on where I am with coursework etc. I think I will try to see it, even if I have to make a trip to Edinburgh. It sounds a little bonkers, but I'm keen to see how much of an audience there is for queer retellings of historical dramas.

[regshoe]

I hope the coursework allows you to go and see it! And yes, indeed—it's so encouraging that something like this is being done, and I wish it a good audience.

[hyarrowen]

Crikey. I wonder how they'll get around Davie's age? Apart from that, it'll be an interesting prospect and I would certainly like to go and see it with you if I weren't living two hemispheres away. :(

Theatre's definitely one of those things that's not as "canon" as a big-screen or TV adaptation in my mind, I suppose because there's such a long tradition of different versions, visions, whatever.

[regshoe]

Apparently by ageing him up—one of the pages on the website describes him as 19 years old. (Well, it's either that or a joke about RLS's inability to keep David's age consistent...) Alas for geography—I do hope they make a recording!

And yeah, agreed about theatre—hopefully it'll be a fun reinterpretation, anyway. :)