Intense, thought-provoking performances

Translated and adapted by playwright Mark O’Thomas, The Book of Disquiet was the only novel written by the late Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. Seen by many as Portugal’s greatest twentieth century writer, Pessoa’s reputation has flourished posthumously.

He created his work under a range of ‘heteronyms’, each with unique socio-political influences, biography and poetic technique. Pessoa has said that he destroyed himself in order to create his masterpieces. The character Bernardo Soares in The Book of Disquiet is perhaps the closest thing we have to our author’s own voice. It is simultaneously a philosophical discussion, novel and insight into Pessoa’s struggle with identity.

The very nature of the book made the adaptation a challenge for O’Thomas; one that he relished nevertheless. A string of notes and scraps of paper found in Pessoa’s Lisbon apartment after his death in 1935, the book explores the feeling of isolation and the futility of life. Since, the works have been assembled and reassembled in an attempt at authenticity, each struggling against the metaphysical scrutiny of the author.

Despite my initial reservations, the performance not only stood up in its own right but also did the book justice. Split into three disjointed parallels, playwright and director, Nicholai La Barrie, explore Pessoa’s themes within a modern-day setting.

The intimacy of the Blue Elephant Theatre in Camberwell serves the performance well. As a promenade performance, the audience are encouraged to walk around the actors. Although most seemed nervous and a little reluctant at first (myself included) eventually we moved out from the corners and settled on the various props situated around the room. It was slim pickings though; bare except for a toilet, the odd desk, and a custom-made beach drawn in chalk, the actors were quick to move audience members on if they needed the space. It was an odd experience, but one that worked incredibly well.

The setup meant that we were constantly aware of ourselves, and the fact that we were watching a performance. This sits perfectly with Pessoa’s introspective view of our bleak existence. ‘The rest of us cross the stage as walk-ons, extras, without any lines. Satisfied with the pompous solemnity of the crossing itself.’

On each night a volunteer is taken from the audience to play one of the central characters. Nervously, I prayed it wouldn’t be me. Clutching my notepad for dear life I was relieved to be recognised by Art Director Jasmine Cullingford, which, as hoped, left me exempt from the public embarrassment of my shoddy acting skills. The woman who did take on the role on Friday night was understandably awkward and self-conscious, knowing nothing of the play or script until 30 minutes prior to the performance. This touch translated the overall message well, playing on ideas of our own perceived identity, the character’s identity being unbeknown and unavailable to the character herself.
The performance was a heavily fragmented, mash of haphazard ideas, enhanced by the lighting, sound and movement of performers around the room. Although parts of the script have been modernised, O’Thomas’ adaptation serves to capture the feeling of Pessoa’s original work. While the book stops abruptly due to the author’s death, O’Thomas decided to go full circle upholding Pessoa’s existentialist themes, ending where we began with crude office jokes.

Intense and thought-provoking, with a fantastic performance by the cast members, The Book of Disquiet is a must-see.

The Book of Disquiet is playing at The Blue Elephant Theatre until Saturday 2^nd July 2011. Post show discussions will take place on 23^rd and 30^th June.

To book tickets call +44 (0) 20 7701 0100, or see the Blue Elephant Theatre’s website.

Images of The Book of Disquiet courtesy of Dougie Firth.