annaprice

Terror and Wonder, The Gothic Imagination: British Library Exhibition

This winter, the British Library has held an exhibition on gothic culture, exploring the use of terror and wonder in literature, art and film through the centuries, starting in 1764 with the publication of The Castle of Otranto and ending with gothic culture in the modern day. In going through each era in chronological order, it was very clear how the word ‘Gothic’ is an umbrella term covering literature, film and art which has evolved and developed for over 200 years. Whilst Horace Walpole wrote The Castle of Otranto with the aim of merging both Realism and Romanticism – combining plausible situations with mystical and sublime events – he really founded a new genre and style of writing, using terror as a means to engage his readers, which permeated into art, music and film over time, right up until today. In giving this overview of the gothic genre, juxtaposed with the detailed descriptions of each individual gothic turning points, the exhibit allows visitors to walk through time and appreciate the minute progressions of the genre. It is in this way that modern society can begin to understand how the gothic genre commenced with The Castle of Otranto, evolving to having now produced The Twilight Series.

It has hard to imagine that: The Italian (Ann Radcliffe), Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte), Dracula (Bram Stoker), Bleak House (Charles Dickens), Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Robert Louis Stephenson) and The Shining (Stephen King), all belong to the same genre of literature. There are two main elements that connect these novels: the suspense caused by the style of writing and the use, or implied use, of the supernatural. The exhibit shows how these vast novels (in terms of plot and subject base) not only further the variety of the gothic genre, but also create a timeless impression: each novel, painting or film contributes to the genre and they are in communication with pieces of art which have preceded them. Despite this longevity within the genre, however, the exhibit explains how each of the novels mentioned were particularly suspenseful, frightening or terror-inducing due to that society’s fear at that time. For example, Bleak House’s representation of the poor in the crowded, dark, foggy and eerie back streets of London would have terrified the upper classes who were afraid of those lower in society and the mixing of social classes. The Italian and Castle of Otranto, however, relay stories of ancient churches in medieval times, creating a whole different level of suspense according to society’s fears.

Terror and Wonder, The Gothic Imagination primarily allowed me to understand the gothic genre as an ongoing, vast and diverse element of culture in our modern day and throughout history, but also the impact of certain eras on the pieces of art produced. The detail to certain eras and artifacts, and then the impact of this in the journey of the gothic genre as a whole was the most interesting and satisfying, as it allowed visitors the opportunity to have an overall view of the genre, as well as detailed stories and facts about each of the pieces of works, their situations and their artists. The opportunity to see first hand original manuscripts, sketches and notes of the authors and artists is an aspect of this exhibition that was the most momentous, as it connected me, in the modern day, to the author and their mindset at the time of writing – an indescribable feeling. This exhibition is open until Tuesday the 20^th of January at the British Library, London.

This week’s matinee performance of ‘Chicago’, on Broadway, was completely worth the wait. From first watching the movie aged eleven, having learnt all the songs word for word by age twelve and then having listened to the soundtrack on repeat in the car for hours on the drive to the south of France, I would have called myself a Chicago enthusiast. I was only lacking in the fact that I had never seen it performed on stage in its original glory, until this week.

The entire production was not only visually stunning with the world class dancing and singing, but also incredibly entertaining in terms of the acting and interaction with the audience. It was very apparent throughout the whole performance that we, the audience, were watching a show – there was no attempt to make the audience forget their place and draw them into the plot: they were the actors and we were the observers. In this way, the performance was very aware of itself and carried this self-awareness throughout, using techniques which highlighted this further: such as pantomime-like narrators, over-exaggerated movements, slapstick routines and the farcical use of a man dressed as a woman singing falsetto. These elements not only contributed to the comedic element of the performance but, combined, they also constitute that of a Brechtian performance. This is furthered by the fact that all members of the cast were on stage at the same time – lining it with the chairs and bringing them on when they needed to be used. This is reminiscent of a Brechtian performance of Medea, where the actors used rope to identify their acting space, waiting on the outside of it, with the props, when they weren’t is use. It was all these elements combined which epitomized the comedy and heightened the connection with the audience.

This humour was not apparent within the movie, primarily due to the fact that there was no live audience. A live audience is pivotal in a production as it can change the way in which actors can manipulate the text and play to the audience’s desires. This difference between movie and performance is similar to the way in which Shakespeare’s text has a different effect on the reader than when it is performed on stage, due to the way in which the actors use their tone of voice, body language and interactions to support the words on the page. This is not the only similarity between ‘Chicago’ and Shakespearean plays as the use of a man dressed as a woman was very common in Shakespearean and Restoration theatre, acting almost as an element of comic relief, enhancing the connection further.

Although the acting, dancing and singing were outstanding, the orchestra made the performance. The opening jazz number set the tone for the rest of the production; the use of the mute with the trumpet and growling saxophone combined with the visually stunning and intense dance combinations sent shivers down my spine and brought tears to eyes. The conductor herself was brilliant, becoming a part of the performance and a member of the cast, bridging the divide between the orchestra and the actors – equalizing them all as performers. This was aided by the fact that the jazz band was placed on stage, physically alienating any divide of space: musicians, dancers and actors were integrated.

I think it is clear that this production of ‘Chicago’ utterly lived up to all expectations, even if some elements were different to the movie, as they only added to the performance and made it a fabulous afternoon in the city.