A Little Life (Savoy Theatre, London, Personal)

 🌟 A Little Life 🌟

21 July 2023 at 7:00pm at Savoy Theatre, London

★★★★

It appears to be a common thing, among other theatre bloggers, to give this play some breathing room after leaving the theatre. A Little Life (from Hanya Yanagihara's novel, adapted by Koen Tachelet) certainly leaves you with a LOT of thoughts to digest. The whole theatrical experience is something never before seen by audiences internationally, as grief, anger and trauma manifest themselves into the form of the human body, displaying to us the ugly extremities (and concealed beauties) of life. Speaking to cast member Zach Wyatt post-show, it's crucial to explore how we leave what we have seen at the theatre, the brutalities and intensity are something both audiences and actors alike should distance ourselves from. Although the message of care and kindness that we leave the building with is something, as human beings, we can all learn and grow from.

The plot circulates around the life of Jude St Francis (portrayed by James Norton), haunted by his dark and unforgiving history, with fluid vignettes highlighting to audiences how frequent his pain becomes. Jude is surrounded by friends Willem, JB and Malcolm (Luke Thompson, Omari Douglas and Zach Wyatt respectively), whereby each are bound by their love for Jude, despite his relentlessly tough history. Various headlines and critics have flocked to share there responses over this play, with The Times' Helen Kirwan-Taylor asking "did you survive it?". A Little Life amasses a hefty run time of 3 hours and 20 minutes onstage, which generally speaking is very impressively well spent. I don't feel as if it is a case of 'surviving', nor is intense imagery overused. Despite a heavy list of content warnings, we are also invited into some incredibly beautiful moments, which are so intimate and display an undying loyalty. This play is a story of humanity, where every emotion is felt, and candidly genuine. Due to the immense history behind Jude's character, the primary focus, the first act required a lot of exposition, meaning it began somewhat slow, which could make it difficult to connect and sympathise with the story. Whereas Jude is encouraged to talk about his experiences in Act 2, this half much more emotionally powerful to experience, and once we are able to see the pain in a clearer view, character relationships a lot stronger to understand.

One element of the production which I find slightly jarring is the use of direct address/narration aimed towards the audience. The script, for the most part, is written with very contained and intimate scenes, although occasionally it becomes, in essence, more like we are being told a story, rather than passive observers. I have no prior knowledge to Yanagihara's original novel and it's style, though this narrative feel gave certain moments too much dramatism, rather than reflecting on the quaintness and contained nature of a relationship. These more intimate scenes are really where A Little Life finds it's beauties, particularly between characters Jude and Willem. Norton gives a beyond exemplary performance as Jude, acting some of the most harrowing scenes to ever hit the stage. The diversity of emotions between scenes, and the perfection in being so exposed onstage, will lead to a very lucrative awards season no doubt! The role of Jude is phenomenally straining to perform itself, so the labour the actors demonstrate to us is REAL, and becomes synonymous with their character. Where we sympathise with Jude's harrowing past, I find an endless admiration in Thompson's Willem, becoming a saving grace for the man he pours out endless love for, despite how challenging it can be. His characterisation of Willem can indeed be a tear jerker, although he also held such gentleness and humanity that would make me smile while watching it. One thing that I was worried about ahead of the show was the content warning of nudity, as media treated this as a gimmick. However it was staged very delicately and it allow for an intensity of vulnerability, reflecting on the victimhood and ownership of the male body and male relationships. Elliot Cowan was equally as tremendous multi-rolling the antagonistic roles of the play, a torrent of abusers. He exacts the role so endlessly frightening where such repulsive visual acts would make my heart race so fast with fear. Needlessly to say that this play is an extremely hard watch, however through vehement acts, it encourages us all to look at how we treat one another, every member of the cast superbly defining how our identity shapes us.

I am extremely fortunate to have had an onstage seat during this run, which felt incredibly special, to be so involved in the intimate nature of the show, and really feel the pouring of emotion. The Savoy Theatre team are so welcoming, and really friendly as we were led down to the Greene Room (with some cheeky backstage views!), our exclusive bar for onstage ticket holders. This was situated beneath the stage, made specifically for the show, which had a very positive and friendly vibe. Sat on the front of the onstage seating, you witness some really special things. Jan Versweyveld's set design incorporates a permanent kitchen worktop, often used to cook real food. The smells this produces, extremely close to the action, is immediately so visceral, and generates a very mundane atmosphere, as life continues on amongst the chaos. As well as a routine antiseptic smell, the reminder of this sense creates a very clinical feel, as health is reinforced as a priority. Very little 'stage magic' is used in A Little Life, and although it isn't naturalistic, the idea of lived experience feels a lot more honest with the set's minimalism. Projection, also designed by Versweyveld, was an extremely fascinating addition, with a monotonous exploration around NYC, which would glitch, or even speed up during significant moments of the play, when the natural order is disrupted. An infrequent quartet of violins and Eric Sleichim's sound design heighten the nervy and tense air, which beautifully accompanies the quiet.

Silence has never been so deafening in a theatre space before this play, something I could state very comfortably. The rise and falls of action are laid out with extreme precision so that, in my opinion, graphic scenes don't become too overwhelming. Sometimes so quiet you can hear a pin drop, you admire Harold's (Zubin Varla) delicate monologues on the innocence of childhood, and other times wincing at the roaring crack of the whipped belt armed by Caleb. These moments are felt through the whole auditorium, where you feel the intensity, and hear the gasps of shock ripple through every spectator. Even one point where I was physically shaking from nerves, emotion becomes everything for everyone in the room. And as a final creative mention, Susanna Peretz's prosthetics are sickeningly realistic, where self harm becomes graphically realised onstage, with a lot of blood. Certainly not for the faint hearted, but this presentation serves as a display of the extremities of mental health crisis, and also opening my eyes to what may drive these acts.

Although I have given Ivo Van Hove's direction of A Little Life 4*, there is absolutely no denying that this masterful adaptation is a show which I will always think about, for many many years, and likely tell people about the visceral and vehement impact it has on me, unlike any other piece of theatre. It is so much more than sadness. It is frustration, it is vulnerability and most importantly, it is love. Groundbreakingly influential in the representation of humanity, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to witness this phenomenon of the theatre world. Come and leave your mark on Lispenard Street.

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