Jane Coyle was at the Old Museum Arts Centre in Belfast to see Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis
Old Museum Arts Centre, Belfast
The striking publicity image for Bruiser Theatre Company's new version of Metamorphosis is a rotting green apple, an eloquent symbol of a corrupt, festering society, which, though gleaming and perfectly formed on the outside, is directly responsible for the diminution and death of a spirited young man.
Steven Berkoff's adaptation of Kafka's novel has long been heard as a scream of rage against the constraints of a system, which takes notice of ordinary, hard-working people only when they turn into extraordinary freaks of nature - at which point, it turns on them.
Bruiser's performance tradition, with strong emphasis on physical theatre and mime, chimes harmoniously with Berkoff's Ecole Le Coq-inspired methods, and the visual and psychological impact of Gregor Samsa's overnight transformation into a grotesque dung beetle is chillingly powerful.
This is a good-looking production, eerily lit by Edele Lindsay, in which, as usual, the cast of five remain on stage throughout, crafting their own scene changes and sound effects.
Over the years, Bruiser artistic director Lisa May has successfully created a distinctive presentational style for her prolific company, but the time has come for a touch of refreshment and modification, so as to ensure that it does not take precedence over content.
Sean Paul O'Rawe is perfectly cast as the doomed Gregor, his pale haunted face and wiry athletic frame turning ugly and twisted during his terrifying metamorphosis. But his unsettling physical presence is slightly eclipsed by the fussy, front-of-stage scurryings of his family and employers, among whom only the elfin Niki Doherty has yet found her way to the heart of Gregor's devoted sister Greta.
This is one of the great stage adaptations of our times; what remains now is the crucial task of getting out the story and its provocative sub-text, loud, clear and unfettered.
• At the Old Museum until Sat, then tours to Monaghan, Antrim, Lisburn, Armagh, Downpatrick, Drogheda, Limerick, Derry, Kilkenny, Cork and Newtownards
