Everyman (Faber Drama)

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Norris throws everything at the production: a large ensemble, high wire antics, the singing of show tunes, cascades of glitter, a wind machine that pushes fake currency and air into the auditorium, cocaine use, rainfall, walking on broken bottles, multi-media activity, the C word, an orgy (of sorts) involving multiple sexuality combinations, many giant gold statues, fluro costumes, a flow of bubbles and garish golden outfits. It’s almost as if he doesn’t trust the material to make its own impact.

In time, if Rufus Norris's first producton as Artistic Director at the National Theatre is remembered, it will be for the performance of Chiwetel Ejiofor as the eponymous Everyman. Franz Kafka. Photograph: Culture Club/Getty Images Franz Kafka, The Trial (begun 1914, published posthumously 1925)Javier De Frutos choreographs proceedings in lively ways and there is exceptional lighting from Paul Anderson. Reynolds, Margaret (7 January 2006). "Review: Rapture by Carol Ann Duffy". The Guardian . Retrieved 27 April 2018. Lyall, Sarah (2 May 2009). "After 341 Years, British Poet Laureate Is a Woman". The New York Times . Retrieved 2 May 2011.

In this vision, based on the slangy vernacular verse of Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, the world that our protagonist has been enjoying to the full is very much that of today. Armando Rivera and Emily Edström in a scene from the Apollinaire Theatre Company production of “Everyman.” Photo: courtesy of Apollinaire Theatre Company. As Everyman, Chiwetel Ejiofor strives manfully to break through the tedious bonds of Norris’ psychedelic/hallucinogenic vision. He succeeds occasionally, and there is no doubting his conviction and passion. At times, his magnificent voice imbues Duffy’s writing with pulsing life. a b Allardice, Lisa (27 October 2018). "Carol Ann Duffy: 'With the evil twins of Trump and Brexit ... there was no way of not writing about that, it is just in the air' ". The Guardian . Retrieved 27 October 2018.

Javier De Frutos and Rufus Norris on Everyman - Tue 2 June, 6pm, Olivier Theatre

Duffy’s verse has always married classical allusion with populist vernacular and this script typically encompasses Latin prayers and recitations of Liverpool football teams. Sharp-eared gags lie alongside an extraordinary final speech in which the dying man counts down his life from 40 to birth, with a memory for each year: “Nineteen. Doing tequila shots. Rat-arsed. Laughing.” The Faber play text merits reading separately as great poetry. Miracle Theatre brings Carol Ann Duffy’s radical adaption right up to date, creating a multi-sensory experience with sizzling sound score, mesmerising 3D projection, stunning design, and gripping performances. This must-see show is a stark reminder of how fragile our relationship with the planet really is. Audience members have expressed interest in making positive environmental choices after seeing the show so we’ve put together some resources in Cornwall, Brighton and Bristol. See how you can contribute in your area! Takahashi, Genji (1953), A Study of Everyman with Special Reference to the Source of its Plot, Ai-iku-sha, pp.33–39, OCLC 8214306 a b c d e f g Forbes, Peter (31 August 2002). "Winning Lines". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013.

Here begynneth a treatyſe how þ e hye Fader of Heuen ſendeth Dethe to ſomon euery creature to come and gyue a counte of theyr lyues in this worlde, and is in maner of a morall playe. There is a difficulty. It lies in Duffy’s script. This is lively, demotic, outspoken – as is the 15th-century morality play, though that did not mention colostomy bags. Yet it is also avowedly secular. Take away from Everyman the fear of Judgment, and you are left with an often attenuated satire on 21st-century consumerism. Justified, perhaps, but frequently familiar – and, in the case of the coke-snorting, roaring, sharp-suited binge with which the play begins, over-extended. It is unlikely that anyone will leave the theatre frightened for their own life. Neither – there is a muddle between the personal and the universal– are they likely to fear anew for the future of the world. The sensational staging, with gilded mannequins pirouetting around as Everyman’s earthly goods, does not provide that fear. Still, it can magnetise an audience.It is difficult to argue with this. Duffy’s adaptation is both lyrical and contemporary. It’s funny too, like life, sometimes unexpectedly. Duffy rose to greater prominence in UK poetry circles after her poem "Whoever She Was" won the Poetry Society National Poetry Competition in 1983. [31]