Thursday, 24 February 2022

THEATRE REVIEW: Fatal Attraction - The Opera House, Manchester.


‘Fatal Attraction’ is tipped to be the most gripping stage play of the year. Based on the original and iconic Paramount Pictures Corporation movie it follows the story of happily married attorney Dan Gallagher, who meets charming editor Alex Forrest and entices us to explore the question; what happens when desire becomes deadly? Set in New York, it is an iconic piece of entertainment transported from the screen to stage featuring a cast of household names as it tours the country.

The 1987 film starred Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer in the lead roles, and premiered in the UK in January 1988 following a box office smash in America. The screenplay was originally adapted for the stage and showcased in the West End in 2014, by original writer James Dearden, and is now revived and playing to packed houses up and down the country.

'Fatal Attraction' remains one of the most famous erotic thrillers of its era, spawning new (and mostly derogatory) language about female rage and psychosis. The story follows family man Dan Gallagher (Oliver Farnworth), who has an affair with seemingly unhinged Alex Forrest (Kym Marsh). Not satisfied with a one-night stand, Alex quickly becomes obsessed with Gallagher and intent on destroying his life beyond recognition. In an ending which was rewritten to please studio bosses we see Forrest depicted as a complete psycho on the hunt for revenge at any cost; a horrifying sequence of events which leaves audiences with more questions than answers. This stage play, which was originally penned by Dearden and released in the London West End in 2014 works to rectify some of the original narrative, showing Forrest to be a woman with considerable mental health concerns, something which Glenn Close has spoken about on numerous occasions. During an interview with CBS in 2013, Close commented that given the chance she would have rethought her portrayal of Alex Forrest using it to raise awareness of the issues concerning mental health. Close said ‘the astounding thing was that in my research for Fatal Attraction, I talked with two psychiatrists. Never did a mental disorder come up. That, of course, would be the first thing I would think of now.’ Dearden’s new play aims to address initial concerns and gives Forrest’s mental health concerns more plausibility. The plot has been rewritten, giving the title characters more complexity and making the ending more in line with what he had originally anticipated for the film.

Now, I was expecting a lot from this production considering the film garnered six Oscar nominations, made $320 million worldwide - making it one of America’s highest grossing box offices releases of the year, and is the reason why ‘bunny boiler’ is now featured in the Oxford English dictionary (!), yet the stage play just didn’t deliver. The promo material claims it will be ‘the most provocative and gripping stage play of the year’, but I was left feeling underwhelmed having watched this new stage production. The film features an intensity between the actors which simply was not portrayed on the stage last night, and whilst there was plenty of action, it felt too ‘staged’ and lacked heat, passion, and desire. The original, shocking plot twists, including the famous ‘bunny boiling’ scene seemed comical, and the ending lacked emotion. It is difficult to identify where this production has fallen short, especially as the staging and modernisation has been carefully considered.

Whilst the references to the 1980s remain, director Loveday Ingram chose to modernise the material and brought it up to date with the simple but effective use of modern-day technology. We see projections of video calls and a reliance on technology to really drive forward the idea of stalking through social media intrusion. The staging is cleverly designed by Morgan Large, featuring simple white panels upon which various locations are projected. They are also used to excellent effect to share the video calls, project atmosphere and emotion, and to allow for some split staging moments. A truly fantastic set used effectively throughout.

Oliver Farnworth is stepping into the male title role of Dan Gallagher and has given him a more masculine edge. He is your typical ‘ball busting’ American who appears to always get what he wants. For me, this representation left him with nowhere to go, and the delivery always felt ‘on top note’. It lacked pathos and emotion.

The strongest performance was undoubtedly Kym Marsh. Her performance was believable throughout, from the sultry and seductive temptress in the opening scenes, to the broken, neglected mother to be in the final scenes. Her characterisation was excellent, and her American accent was by far the best. Marsh works hard throughout to deliver a credible performance, ensuring that the role doesn’t simply become a caricature of the film version. She ensures that the sensitive nature of mental health conditions is acknowledged but not damaged. Marsh drives the production with a polished performance.

Gallagher’s wife is played by Susie Amy. For me, this performance was the weakest link. I am undecided as to whether Amy has been let down by a poor script, poor direction or maybe even wrongly interpreted herself, as the character is being portrayed in a way that comes across as though she is constantly irritated by her husband, his workload, indecision regarding their move to the country, indifference to their daughter and life in general. With this in mind, and all things considered it’s not too difficult to appreciate the predicament Gallagher found himself in on that fatal night…

So, is it ‘the most gripping stage play of the year’? I sincerely hope not. Despite some strong performances and an excellent design, this production is lacking, and fatally unattractive.

Reviewer - Jen O’Beirne
on - 22.2.22


No comments:

Post a Comment