In a modern world obsessed by fitspo, six packs and thigh gaps, the story of ‘The Elephant Man’ has never been more relevant.
The play, inspired by the life of cruelly disfigured Joseph Merrick, reminds us all of the injustices that often arise when we base our perceptions upon outward appearance rather than inner worth. It is perhaps because of its relevance to the modern day the classic tale was recently revived on Broadway, starring Hollywood heart-throb Bradley Cooper in the lead role.
The gestation period for the Adelaide Rep’s upcoming incarnation began well before the Broadway revival, says director Megan Dansie. “I had decided and already been okayed to direct 'The Elephant Man' before I knew anything about the Broadway revival. I’d like to think we got there first but we just didn’t get on stage first because this has been in the books for a couple of years.”
Often in theatre, revivals of old works come with drastic alterations to the original work; this is not the case in the current instance, says Megan. “I am not sure the Broadway revival changed a great deal, certainly there has been no change to the script. So really I’ve just looked at the whole play fresh; it’s not a matter of copying anything that was done on Broadway. I’ve gone back to the script and looked at how to stage it based upon what the playwright wants in a fresh way.”
While many people would be familiar with the iconic ‘The Elephant Man’ film starring John Hurt, the play is an entirely separate piece that is markedly different in many ways. One notable difference is that no prosthetics or makeup techniques are used to transform the title character, meaning that the actor must draw upon their thespian wiles to convey their profound deformity. As Megan explains, there are many obvious reasons for adopting this approach.
“It would be impossible or very nearly impossible to replicate the level of prosthetics that they had in the film; that would be prohibitively expensive, take five hours a day to put on and be very, very hard for an actor to wear it continuously for a two-hour show.”
While it makes sense from a logistical stand-point, Megan also believes that this approach assists in highlighting the themes of the work. “The play very much is not only the strict story of Merrick (and a social satire on the Victorian social system) but also very much looks at the characters that interact with Merrick as they project themselves onto [him]. So they see in Merrick something of themselves and there is a whole theme of illusion and mirroring that runs through the play. So it makes perfect sense for the actor to not use prosthetics because it is all about illusion and about projecting your own thoughts onto the character.”
The challenge of breathing life into the tortured protagonist has been issued to Adelaide actor Robert Bell, who won the Adelaide Theatre Guide Best Actor Award in 2015. Megan says he has been doing a phenomenal job.
“He’s got to distort his body to as much as possible, and replicate the posture of the Elephant Man. Robert and I are working very hard on getting the physicality right and consistent throughout the play.”
Megan is a multiple award-winning director in her own right and has engaged in extensive research into the source material. This includes visiting the London Hospital where Merrick spent his final days, providing deep insight into his life.
“Not only did I get to see the atmosphere - Whitechapel is still a very low socioeconomic area - but we also got to see a cast of his skeleton, the hat he wore, objects he used and the only existing sample of a letter from him, which was very, very moving. I was able to bring those pictures and resources back to the cast.”
'The Elephant Man' performs The Adelaide Rep Theatre 14-23 April.
