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Metamorphosis

By Franz Kafka

Adapted and directed by David Farr and Gísli Örn Gardarsson

Music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

11 January - 2 February 2008

New dates before International Tour

25 March - 05 April 2008

Anyone easily unnerved by the original Franz Kafka novella or even David Cronenberg’s disturbing 1986 horror film, The Fly, should probably avoid the second run of this highly regarded co-production between the Lyric Hammersmith and Icelandic theatre company Vesturport: for the best part of its brief hour and twenty minutes, Metamorphosis is as unsettling a blend of mundane everyday habits and acrobatic absurdity as you’re likely to find on the London stage.

Yet, for the rest of us, the Lyric’s artistic director David Farr and Vesturport’s Gísli Örn Gardarsson combine to present a dark, humourous, and always thought-provoking study of human behaviour on a stunning split-level set. In their version, Kafka’s freakish prefiguring of communism and fascism is also highlighted in certain parts, while the action is bookmarked by an ambient and downright eerie Nick Cave and Warren Ellis soundtrack.

As in Kafka’s iconic tale, the production begins with young salesman Gregor Samsa (the elastic Björn Thors) waking to a unlikely dilemma: overnight, he has transformed into a monstrous being, though it is clear from the reactions of his immediate family––Mother (Elva Ósk Ólafsdóttir), Father (Tom Mannion), and sister, Grete (Unnur Ösp Stefánsdóttir)––along with, of course, the manner that Thors clambers and leaps athletically around the set, that Gregor has become some sort of grotesque, wingless fruit fly, who has a penchant for cheese gone past its sell-by-date. Howthis transmogrification occurred or how Gregor remains of human appearance in the eyes of the audience is irrelevant: what is relevant, however, are the ways in which Gregor’s perceived new form affects the Samsa household’s daily life, and not least, Gregor himself.

At its crux, this is perhaps the reason why Metamorphosis works so well as a stage production. Without Gregor’s income, the Samsas struggle to make ends meet, invite a lodger, Herr Fischer (the excellent Jonathan McGuinness), into their home, and end up clinging in forced ignorance to their mundane daily routines. Father wears his uniform proudly, but panics when a button goes missing; Mother initially yearns to help Gregor but winds up more concerned with the family finances; and Grete, Gregor’s closest ally, eventually grows angry with her troubled brother and becomes more infatuated with the family’s multi-talented lodger. There are even lengthy spells when Gregor is completely forgotten, yet he is always there, adorned in green light on the top tier of the stage, his suffering growing by the minute.

Needless to say, certain moments in Metamorphosis are hilarious: Mother simulates sword-play with Grete and flips herself acrobatically over the kitchen table. And certain moments are tragic: when Grete yells angrily at Gregor, you can’t fail to have sympathy for such a tormented, childlike character who, try as he might, can’t be understood by anyone other than the audience.

It is fortunate, then, that Metamorphosis’ contradictory impulses are handled well by its very fine cast. Indeed, Thors is outstanding as Gregor. His expressions and balletic movement bring much authenticity and grace to a difficult role. McGuinness excels equally as either the lodger or Gregor’s visiting office manager, and provides a much needed reminder of the outside world. Having said that, while Ólafsdóttir, Mannion, and Stefánsdóttir provide capable support, they each tend to overplay the humour on occassion, even in an ironic sense.

What’s more, although it is difficult to over-emphasise the inital genius of Börkur Jónsson’s set, you somehow feel it could’ve been even better. The top tier of the split-level stage is built to conjure an aerial, birds-eye-view perspective, but why stop there? Surely Jónsson could find room for at least one more unnatual angle on another part of the stage like in an M. C. Escher painting.

But this is a minor quibble. To sum up, Metamorphosis just about lives up to its billing as this month’s hot ticket. Since it’s off on a world tour after this three-week stint, best make sure you catch it now––one might say––before the bed bugs bite...

Web: www.lyric.co.uk www.lyric.co.uk

Adults £10 (restricted view), £13, £17, £23 & £27
Under 16s £10
Concessions £10
Students / 16 - 25s £7 (ltd performances)