Essay

Compare in detail two productions/story that has been a play and a film – is theatre more effective?


Which is better? Theatre or Cinema? This of the most common question asked when deciding to see a performance or creation for entertainment. In this Essay, we will be discussing different opinions based around different examples of this and I will be including personal experience as well.


“I just can’t wait to be King!” – One of the most well-known songs by many people across the globe. This is due to the fact that it emerges from the Award Winning motion picture Lion King (1994) directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. It portrays the responsibilities we all have to face when we reach adulthood and to appreciate what we have before we lose it, in other words to not take it for granted. This can be said to be one of the most debated on whether the original movie still remains a better adaptation of the story rather than the most popular productions in Broadway and the West End. There are many opinions sharing the similarities/differences and the benefits/problems of these factors that are integrated in to the final production on the stage compared to the movie. In an article stated on Quora.com, Marc Bodnick had brought up the one very large difference of Rafiki as it was played by a female instead of a male. He said that “This is because the producers felt there weren't any truly strong female characters in the film”, which can be said to be true due to the fact that the original story is based among power and in the animal kingdom, the male lion is seen as the ‘King’ of the jungle. In addition to this discussion, as I have seen both adaptations of Lion King the motion picture as well as the stage production, I have to say that although the film was absolutely brilliant, the musical got it for me. This is because it felt more alive as the voices of the actors were heart-warming along with the creative costumes of the animals which made the whole production feel more alive as they passed us through the audience making their way to the stage. It made me feel as if I was actually a part of the production. So it can be said that the theatrical version can build a stronger connection to the audience, rather than the film which can be debated to be easier for younger children to understand due to the fact that the animals seen in the movie can be depicted easily with the animation.


Another example of a film and in a theatre production is Macbeth. Macbeth is about a brave Scottish general named Macbeth. He receives a message from witches that one day he will become the King of Scotland. Engulfed with greediness and ambition, which was spurred to action by his wife, he murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. This then lead to him feeling guilty and resulted in him having a sense of paranoia. There had been many different adaptations and interpretations of this particular piece by Shakespeare so it can be incredibly debated to which on portrays the plot in a more efficient way. According to the source from enotes.com, a head teacher states a clear point that both film and theatre are two very different mediums, where interpretations of the original plot can be twisted and changed or exaggerated to suit the differences of the changes made. An example that was stated in this source was that “Macbeth, Roman Polanski’s version focuses on death and violence. His version includes the death of the original Thane of Cawdor, as he chooses to jump off and hang himself”, as some adaptations did not. The later state that “The action of this is accompanied by eerie music that dominates the descent of Macbeth into evil, and there is a lot of blood and gore in the way that Macduff's family is killed, Banquo is killed and then the murderers themselves, having killed Banquo, are themselves dispatched.” This statement exposes the fact that moving from scene to scene is definitely easier and that music definitely a heavy factor which can make the film more effective as it creates the atmosphere with the dialogue and actions taken. However this can contrast with the stage production as silence at certain places in in the performance, especially Lady Macbeth’s monologue, can still maintain an eerie atmosphere without the use of music. So as this can be said, it really depends on how the director ought to portray the peace in the most efficient method possible. Again, as I have seen many adaptations of both mediums, I find that it really depends on how the audience understands what is being portrayed, especially with a piece that is also very well known around the world with its reputation to show how wrong doings can lead to insanity. However, I feel that film portrays this type of performance more effectively due to the use of music and camera angles, especially when it comes to the murdering and the breakdown of Lady Macbeth.


From a personal experience, from not only one, but now two performances, I have felt the magic of theatre and how it can express a plot in various number of ways yet quite enjoyable to watch compared to film. This can also be said that film will always stay the same whereas theatre productions can always be altered and changed every night it is performed adding that risk factor which can result in a better insight from the audience. I have performed Little Shop of Horrors and now Peter Pan, where I have also watched the films of both productions. In addition for my character development, I have had to research and see other stage interpretations of these performances, with the main source of youtube.com. I have seen interpretations of Little Shop of Horrors, especially in the film, the Seymour’s character is heavily backed up with background music exaggerating his actions, similar to other stage plays I have seen during my character research. Especially in the scenes where he had to mutilate Audrey’s ex-boyfriend Orin Scrivello (Audrey being Seymour’s crush as he also can be related to Macbeth as he was engulfed by greed to get what he wants by going way above legal actions) with the use of background music creating the shock factor in the 1986 film. Whereas when I performed there was no use of background music but with clear dialogue to exaggerate the fact that Seymour was going ahead with the murder and a blackout to change the scene to Audrey II (the evil plant) devouring on the remains of Orin. This can be argued that the film can be more effective in this sense as it did play a major role in the film compared to my interpretation of it.
In Peter Pan, both known film adaptations – 2003 version by P. J. Hogan and the Walt Disney Peter Pan as a very confident boy with a strong personality which intertwined after my research as my initial interpretation of his character. However, the biggest difference and advantage of theatrical arts is that the plot can be changed dramatically or factors can be added or taken away. Exaggerated in my performance was that a key part of both films show the magical flying scene to Neverland, whereas my production did not express this in a similar manner due to the equipment available. In addition, songs were also added as my performance was based on the script by Piers Chater-Robinson. This can also stress the fact that although the original version did not have songs included, theatre can change this to a level where there are always better ways in improving the performance whilst it is showing live, whereas things cannot in movies and will always be noticed if wanted to be improved afterwards.


In conclusion, it can be said that film can be seen as a way of keeping a permanent record of your work out there for it to be seen by so many people, however, the world is your stage and as actor myself, I do personally love theatre as it allows me to express myself in various characters and revealing the true beauty of taking risks on stage. On the other hand, although filming can be a whole new experience, I find that even having the chance to interact with an audience makes it that extra special. This is because having a connection with the audience is what feeds me to put on an even bigger or better performance than the night before. In addition, theatre can also be an experiment room and you do not always have to stick to the script. You can always make it your own and put a piece of who you truly are in to it, and that is what I love about the theatre, it just expresses the fact that the world is your stage and that we should always take risks.


Bibliography:


Author: Los Times
Article Title: From screen to stage: Musical movie adaptations - 'The Lion King'
Website Title: latimes.com
URL: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-from-screen-to-stage- musical-movie- ad-017-photo.html
Published: 2017


Author: Marc Bodnick
Article Title: Are there any substantial differences between the Broadway musical and the film’s version of the story of The Lion King?
Website Title: Quora.com
URL: https://www.quora.com/Are-there-any-substantial-differences-between-the-Broadway-musical-and-the-films-version-of-the-story-of-The-Lion-King
Published on: October 16, 2011


Author: Study Guide
Article Title: Peter Pan Summary – eNotes.com
Website Title: eNotes
URL: https://www.enotes.com/topics/peter-pan


Author: High School Teacher
Article Title: What are the differences between Macbeth the play and Macbeth the movie, directed by Roman Polanski?
Website Title: eNotes
URL: https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-differences-between-macbeth-play-macbeth-400373
Published: May 30, 2011


Article Title: Little Shop of Horrors (1986 film)
Website Title: En.wikipedia.org
URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Shop_of_Horrors_(1986_film)


Article Title: Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Website Title: En.wikipedia.org
URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Shop_of_Horrors_(musical)