I've been thinking about the differences between the novel and the musical, and if it matters or not to actors. For incredibly rich details and information about characters and locations--obviously--VH's novel is the source. BUT, Boublil and Schonberg had to condense the story into a manageable size, so much of the details and finer points from the novel are either lost entirely, underplayed or suggested. The fact that, in the novel, Gavroche is the Thenardier's son...not even suggested in the musical. Marius and Enjolras' relationship is much more complicated and multi-layered in the novel, but again, what was created for the musical is enough to be effective. The character of Eponine in the novel is much more richly detailed, but again, the song "On My Own"--though definitely romanticizing her, her situation and her world view--gives the essence of the character.
I do think it's worth actors reading the novel--or at least portions of the novel. VH's writing about Javert, JVJ and their mental processes is fascinating, and rich material for actors to find working objectives, tactics, etc. I highly recommend Julie Rose's unabridged translation of Victor Hugo's work. It is vivid, fresh and reads like a chick lit book!.
With all this being said, we (actors, designers and myself included) may be guided by material from the novel but it's what's in the script and score that will be presented. We will work from those texts, and won't be presenting anything that isn't in those materials. The Gavroche difference above is a good example: even though it's in the novel and it would be easy to incorporate into the musical; we won't be. That's a slippery slope and has the potential to really "muddy the waters" of creating a clear story . They really are different animals!
So think of the novel as source material, flavoring, useful guidance and background...and then go back to the script and score to see the story that we'll be presenting.
To the Barricades!
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