Ben Bryant is impressed by Belt Up's adaptation of Franz Kafka's tricksy little tale.
The transition of Kafka’s renowned novella, The Metamorphosis, from book to stage is fraught with difficulty. The major stumbling block is the representation of the nightmarish insect that Gregor Samsa transforms into – a problem that Belt Up neatly overcome with a setup borrowed from Steven Berkoff’s celebrated 1969 stage adaptation. A metal climbing frame is erected over Gregor’s bed, which the actor scales and clings to. Belt Up have taken the image one step further by giving the entire production a circus feel, complete with characters made up as clowns and a trampoline to the breakfast table. It’s a clever twist on Berkoff’s adaptation, drawing attention the absurd elements of the story and suggesting that we're witnessing a kind of freak show.
The action takes place in the family home, with children scattered about the house. All of Gregor Samsa’s family, bar his sympathetic wife and one of his daughters, are made up as clowns. The play actually begins slightly ahead of Kafka’s novella, as Gregor Samsa returns home to his loving family from another day at work. His transformation occurs that night, and the play settles into Kafka’s tale as his family go through transitions of horror, then misery, then acceptance, ignorance and, finally, rejection.
Belt Up’s productions can feel a little overdrawn at times, but in this case Kafka’s story is well complemented by the circus metaphor. A party for the audience at the start of the play – an immersive device typical of Belt Up – sees us celebrating Gregor’s homecoming, and also establishes the dark carnival tone of the piece. The rabble of clown-children and their sing-song speech is haunting, and the gleefully sadistic chief clerk is particularly unsettling. This circus-styled take on The Metamorphosis walks a tightrope, but its mordant energy and daring physical theatre make it a delight to watch.
Ben Bryant
Metamorphosis is at C Soco until 30th August 2010
C Soco, Chambers Street and Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1HR
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