PUBLISHED 11 December 2023
On Friday 17th November, AKS’ Drama Department embarked on a trip to the Lowry in Salford to see Frantic Assembly’s portrayal of ‘Metamorphosis’.
This play was written by a German author called Franz Kafka in 1915 and is about a Man who slowly transforms into a cockroach and loses all human features. Kafka wrote this because he wanted his audience to see the dehumanising capitalism in society and how that can affect the workers and their well-being therefore leading to the main character, Gregor Samsa, becoming a Cockroach to show that from the actions of others, he has been put down to the point where he felt mentally and emotionally like a cockroach, and so he became this insect.
Frantic Assembly’s performance of the play left me astounded by including details as little as the use of mics. Throughout the show, the actors did not use stage mics and instead projected their voices through the theatre, forcing the performance to be so close to reality, especially in the opening scenes. I found that although Kafka wrote this book in the 20th century, the play as a whole seemed very timely, both with the themes of capitalism and the isolation of Gregor, which many of the audience will be able to relate to, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We first see a young girl called Grete, who opens the play in a bland bedroom with only a small light hanging from the ceiling, already this set draws similarity from that of an asylum, due to how plain it is; there are no windows and no natural light being let into the room suggesting a trapped feeling, where it could be interpreted that this room is the only place where imagination runs. In comparison to the outside world, it provides a space for Gregor to express his love for fashion and fabric, which slowly but surely deteriorates as he feels more affected by the grueling world of industry. As well as lending itself to be the space of this cockroach, where he is locked away, it also has moments where it flashes news articles, with Gregor plastered across them; this could be interpreted as his dreams and imagination, and like Gregor’s enthusiastic nature, they fade away and they are not seen much after.
Personally, I found the transformation from man into cockroach fascinating. As the outside world continued around him, Gregor found himself under the bedsheets in this room, moving and creating different shapes; as confirmed shortly after, the bedsheets symbolised a silk cocoon which insects used during their transformation, signifying that this was Gregor’s cocoon, helping him through his final stage of metamorphosis.
Frantic Assembly used many techniques throughout the performance, including high-skilled lifts between 2-3 people, however one I really enjoyed watching was the difference in speed on stage. When the Samsa family first encounter Gregor as a cockroach, they begin to move in slow motion, whereas Gregor moves quite fast. This was clear that his transformation had happened to the audience, despite Gregor not understanding why his family were now repulsed by him.
As previously mentioned, Kafka’s book highlights themes of capitalism. Gregor Samsa is mentally and emotionally worthless in the work hierarchy and he reaches such a level of lowness that he transforms into this insect. I thought it was poignant that Gregor’s father also underwent a similar transformation during Act 2, after he started to work, and came home after a cycle of days, possessing insect-like traits. This theme is furthered when his mother invites someone for dinner. This man speaks about house characteristics and shares his disdain for insects. He sees a cockroach and squishes it downstage centre stage. Directly behind him, in upstage centre, Gregor mimics as if he had just been squished. As this man was higher in the work industry, it showed what happens to the low workers, like Gregor, as he diminishes them to nothing.
Gregor then breaks out of his prison and attacks the man, changing the power dynamic completely. However, this is short-lived as Gregor is then shunned by his family and even more isolated than he was before. Gregor sinks through the split bed, as if it were a trapdoor, leaving the room empty. At first, this was not completely clear, but it was later insinuated that Gregor had died a slow death, as his family decide they “need to repaint,” hiding away Gregor and his life, and trying to forget what had happened. The story then ends cyclically, with Grete in the room, being the audience’s focus.
At first, I found this play quite hard to understand, and although the acting was brilliant, it was difficult to follow. After reading the script, it was clear of the performance’s message, and thinking back, it was portrayed very well.
Sammy, Year 12