I remember reading Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones during my first year of university back in 2015 and was struck by the emotional tale of 14-year-old Susie Salmon, who is raped and murdered, then watches over her family, and Earth, from above. I'd seen the film a few years prior, but the emotional charge of the book was on a different level. I was enraptured and saddened by Susie's story, and her grief as she watches how her friends and family - and her murderer - cope following her demise, whilst she's left unable to help, and can simply watch from beyond the grave.
I saw that Bryony Lavery's stage production was touring, and knew I had to take the opportunity to see this poignant story on stage too, so I went along to the Rose Theatre Kingston to catch a performance. Whilst the plotline is, of course, similar, there are subtle charged differences - a lack of 'strict' narration for one - we see Susie as both a narrator, and an omnipresent cast member, but it remains an equally fascinating and distressing story of a young girl's tragic tale.
Set in a 1970s suburban neighbourhood in America - "when people thought things like this didn't happen" - the soundtrack cleverly nods to key musical figures of the time, and puts you right in the scene of the events. Present-day events seamlessly integrate with childhood flashbacks and Susie's heaven space. Her vantage point from heaven is cleverly illustrated by a salt marked box which characters interact within, and through, but limits Susie's personal interaction - I guess meant to symbolise the 'limbo', or border between life and death. She moves amongst the alive characters, and stamps and roars when there's missed chances of catching her killer or for example when she's frustrated by her mother's infidelity. A tilted mirror turned reflective screen provides the audience with a dual perspective of events - you see Susie's boxed heavenly limit, but you also see things reflected through them such as the reflection of the suburban row of houses close to Susie's murder site. Much like a view of Susie's neighbourhood in a way, straightforward and almost normal, but with hidden secrets like a creepy Mr Harvey ghoulishly watching over the other Salmon sister Lindsey. A clever border of cornfield and dirt borders the stage, symbolic of Susie's murder, and the long-lasting effect it has on those who knew her.
I was initially concerned how the play would address the more shocking aspects like Susie's rape and murder, but this was presented sensitively and cleverly - dispersed clothing discarded across the stage, whilst Susie narrates the events. Also when Susie meets Mr Harvey's other victims, cast members almost puppeteer small dresses meant to symbolise the clothes of the forgotten and violated. The subjects are handled tenderly, and Charlotte Beaumont makes a great Susie - fiery, yet optimistic at times, and believably affected by the events that have happened to her, and go on to affect her family which falls apart without her.
Stand out elements for me came in the form of frustration expressed by Susie as the police miss clues - the stolen charm from her bracelet being one- and the safety deposit box tumbled into the sink-hole, and we watch as Susie screams from her otherworldly remit. Avita Jay as Franny, Susie's guardian in heaven, cleverly explains the rules of the space, no interference allowed, and that Susie can get whatever she wishes for - a fact she tries to take advantage of by wishing to be alive again. A poignant moment is when we see Susie dance along and then float to David Bowie's Space Oddity, reflected in the tilted mirror like a cosmic version of a teen bedroom. The final moments as we learn the meaning of the title (the foundations/bones made between others following Susie's death) and an upbeat Susie dancing as Tears for Fears, Everybody Wants to Rule the World plays out, re-symbolised my admiration for compelling story-telling, and reminded me so much of my enjoyment of the book all those years ago.
I was left a little underwhelmed by the dog sequence at the finale (no spoilers here) as it felt like a poor way to end the story, but I would still describe the performance as cleverly constructed, with enough panache to differ itself from the novel and its movie counterpart. A tragic story with enough light-heartedness to reflect the ebbs-and-flows of life avoids cliche sentimentality or yearning for life after death. It instead focuses on the bitterness, and somewhat lacklustre situation Susie finds herself in, and as she so eloquently says 'heaven is a shit-hole too'. Whilst there is a non-sensational aspect to the staging of the story, it is still one that effectively packs a punch, a thoughtful, realistic, raw stunning adaptation rooted in its bones, down to its core.
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The Lovely Bones is currently on tour around the UK, including visits to London Hackney Empire, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Oxford Playhouse, Yvonne Arnaud (Guildford) and Chichester Festival Theatre - click here for more information
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Kisses,
Chlo
