Being familiar with both the film and the book adaptations of Anthony Burgess’ harrowing tale, I wasn’t entirely sure what I should expect from a play adaptation. I needn’t have worried – whilst I was taken aback by the abrupt start to the show, with the cast rushing through the Neville Studio doors and onto the stage in a violent flurry (which was an excellent start to the show), by its conclusion I was completely gripped.
For those not up to speed with the source material, A Clockwork Orange follows a young, violent and troubled youth named Alex, who revels in ultra-violence and mischief. Initially him and his gang never go as far as murder, but as Alex is soon forewarned it is only a matter of time – and once he crosses that line he finds himself betrayed by his friends and at the mercy of the hands of the law. Fast forward several years and Alex is desperate to leave prison, so he jumps at the chance to take part in a new and untested program which aims to ‘reform’ criminals and purge them of violent and ill thoughts. Unfortunately for Alex things do not go quite accordingly, and although once again a free man, he finds himself tortured by his own impulses.
Brought to the stage by Nottingham Playhouse’s own Young Creative team, as well as some professional actors, the direction, choreography and acting were all top notch. It is a testament to the cast’s ability that they were able to transport the audience into Alex’s world, as without the blood and much more explicit violence of the film, as well as minimal set pieces during the whole performance, the audience were forced to use their imaginations much more.
In this day and age of high budget films and television, it was refreshing to see that this form of entertainment still holds up (and is perhaps far more stimulating) – and that was in no doubt helped by the excellent acting on display. For a book and play written in the early 1960’s its themes felt relevant and wholly modern. Peter Hannah as Alex was astonishingly good – conveying all the laddish mannerisms and the juxtaposition of the characters playfulness mixed with his inherent nastiness. As Alex’s character begins to deteriorate there are some particularly unsettling scenes where Peter fully realises the anguish and despair Alex feels, screaming and stumbling in pain, driven to repulsion even by his one love – classical music.
The supporting cast delivered their performances with the same level of conviction, and even with the small ensemble meaning that some actors were playing multiple roles – you never felt pulled out of the story and fully believed in each character. At around 2 hours long with no interval the play was on the lengthy side, but not to any annoyance – it’s such an immersive tale that had there been an interval it would have only been to the shows detriment – the length of the play felt justified, allowing the story and characters to develop at a comfortable pace.
Review by Marc Reeves
