Anyone seen The Changeling

I went to the opening of this play in London, Barbican centre on the 11th may. I
had the opportunity to sit on the frontrow during this magnificent performance with Olivia Williams as one of the main characters. A wonderful performer and stunning actor.

The whole stage was transformed so that the audience actually sit on the stage. As a spectator you immediately feel involved to the play and storyline which even increases your awareness and involvement. The Changeling is a play written by Middleton and Rowley, a lovestory that is as disturbing as touching, twisted in times but humourous with elements of a true classic play.

In this play, Olivia plays Beatrice-Joanna, a desperate heiress who wants to marry the man she loves but is hindered by her unwanted bridegroom. She sets up a plan to dispose of her future husband by making a promise to her servant, de Flores, an unearthly ugly monster who's secretly loves her. When de Flores proves his loyalty to her by killing her groom, she decides to reward her with gold. The obsessed servant insists she had another reward in mind - Beatrice-joanna herself.

The director, Declan Donnellan, has done a fabulous job by transforming the play to a current setting. While the dialogues are still old-english I couldn't help it to compare with contemporary movies such as Luhrman's Romeo and Juliette. Other than the classic Shakespearian storylines, Middleton and Rowley approached this play with a sometimes absurd angle. The play begins with people taking a chair and seemingly taking random positions on the setting. A scenery which reminds me of Ionesco's La cantatrice chauve, a play where a group of apparent mute people sit on randomly placed chairs and suddenly shout out vocals.

Definitely recommend it