Hobart Repertory Theatre’s theatrical production of The Elephant Man (by playwright Bernard Pomerance) was a dramatic play shown at the Playhouse Theatre on a traditional proscenium stage. Petr Divis revived the true story of Joseph Merrick, (referred to as John Merrick and played by Jon Lenthall) and joined hands with his performers to display a stellar feat of acting to the public.
The idiom “Don’t judge a book by its cover “could hardly be more strikingly epitomised than in the revelation of John Merrick’s genuine humanity as he is saved from a life of humiliation in a Victorian freak show. As the play progresses, characters such as Dr Treves (Steven Jones) and Mrs Kendal (Leah Venettacci) are surprised to discover that lying beneath Merrick’s …show more content…
I felt as though the slow fading in and out of scenes kept the mood alive and the audience intrigued. In a clever fashion, in-between scenes the lights would fade out until the only source of light was a meaningful phrase on the scrim. The words displayed would be a remark from the following scene, untwisting in your mind like a puzzle and eventually becoming significant once the climax of the scene passed. Not only did the lighting prove to be thought provoking but was used effectively to capitalise on major events in the play. There were a few special scenes within the play (such as the one where Dr Treves delivers his surgical description of Merrick’s deformities) that were accentuated with the use of a spotlight. Another special scene included the use of a clever colour wash which guided us through Doctor Treaves’ dream and left us dazzled. Although unique lighting effects were used to create special scenes for the audience, I was more impressed at the use of dimming. Dimming was used throughout to accentuate the emotive mood conveyed by the actors in major scenes. The Dimming effect (unknowingly to the audience) subconsciously gives the impression of change, pushing forward character development and prompting the audience to interpret the scene differently. Without being fancy, the general lighting and special effects used provoked the audience and unknowingly to most, contributed to the incredible atmosphere during the
The idiom “Don’t judge a book by its cover “could hardly be more strikingly epitomised than in the revelation of John Merrick’s genuine humanity as he is saved from a life of humiliation in a Victorian freak show. As the play progresses, characters such as Dr Treves (Steven Jones) and Mrs Kendal (Leah Venettacci) are surprised to discover that lying beneath Merrick’s …show more content…
I felt as though the slow fading in and out of scenes kept the mood alive and the audience intrigued. In a clever fashion, in-between scenes the lights would fade out until the only source of light was a meaningful phrase on the scrim. The words displayed would be a remark from the following scene, untwisting in your mind like a puzzle and eventually becoming significant once the climax of the scene passed. Not only did the lighting prove to be thought provoking but was used effectively to capitalise on major events in the play. There were a few special scenes within the play (such as the one where Dr Treves delivers his surgical description of Merrick’s deformities) that were accentuated with the use of a spotlight. Another special scene included the use of a clever colour wash which guided us through Doctor Treaves’ dream and left us dazzled. Although unique lighting effects were used to create special scenes for the audience, I was more impressed at the use of dimming. Dimming was used throughout to accentuate the emotive mood conveyed by the actors in major scenes. The Dimming effect (unknowingly to the audience) subconsciously gives the impression of change, pushing forward character development and prompting the audience to interpret the scene differently. Without being fancy, the general lighting and special effects used provoked the audience and unknowingly to most, contributed to the incredible atmosphere during the