Kidnapped (play)

Last updated
Kidnapped
Kidnapped play poster.jpg
Promotional poster
Written byIsobel McArthur
Based on Kidnapped
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Directed by
  • Isobel McArthur
  • Gareth Nicholls
Music byMichael John McCarthy
Date premiered28 March 2023 (2023-03-28)
Place premiered Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock
Genre

Kidnapped is a 2023 Scottish play created by Isobel McArthur and Michael John McCarthy for the National Theatre of Scotland, based on the 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Contents

Billed as ‘a swashbuckling rom-com adventure’, the play toured locations in Scotland and England from March to May 2023.

Background and premise

Following the success of McArthur and McCarthy's previous collaboration Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) , Kidnapped takes a similar approach to adapting its source material. The play is a broadly faithful adaptation of the novel, but uses modern language and makes some major changes in presentation. Frances Stevenson, Robert Louis Stevenson's wife and literary collaborator who suggested the story of Kidnapped, appears as a narrator, relating the events of the plot to her own experiences and her relationship with her husband. Music, also mostly modern, is a key element; songs including ’I've Been Everywhere’, ‘Only You’ and a Gaelic version of ‘Road to Nowhere’ are performed live by the cast to accompany the action. [1] [2] [3]

Additionally, the play presents the relationship between the main characters Davie Balfour and Alan Breck Stewart as a romance. McArthur said about this decision, ‘There are a multitude of political reasons why it feels important and useful to me, but I also feel it’s in the pages of the novel. They clearly love each other’, [4] while actor Malcolm Cumming commented, ‘What this adaptation of Kidnapped does is examine the story and the relationships in light of our acceptance and understanding of relationships today to create a modern and extremely faithful retelling of the story.’ [5]

Production history

The play premiered at the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock on 28 March 2023, running until 1 April. It then toured to the Theatre Royal, Glasgow (5-8 April); the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (11-22 April); Eden Court Theatre, Inverness (25-29 April); Perth Theatre (3-6 May); and Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne (9-13 May), [6] before finishing its tour at the Theatre Royal, Brighton (18-20 May) as part of Brighton Festival. [7] It was directed by McArthur and Gareth Nicholls. [8]

Cast and characters

National Theatre of Scotland performer [8] Character
Ryan J MacKayDavie Balfour
Malcolm Cumming Alan Breck Stewart
Kim Ismay Frances Stevenson
Christina GordonEnsemble
Danielle JamEnsemble
Fatima JawaraEnsemble
Grant O’RourkeEnsemble
David RankineEnsemble
Isaac SavageEnsemble
Karen YoungEnsemble

Reception

The play received generally favourable reviews. The Times called it a ‘hugely enjoyable show’, praising the ‘lively and affectionate’ writing and the ‘heartfelt’ performances by the lead actors and the ensemble; [2] The Guardian described the cast as ‘plucky and lovable’, [1] while The Stage praised the ‘infectious exuberance’ created by McArthur's ‘special talent’; [9] both these reviews also especially noted the music and the set design.

Award nominations

Kidnapped was nominated for four Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland, in the categories of Best Ensemble, Best Design, Best Music and Sound and Best Production. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long John Silver</span> Antagonist of Stevensons Treasure Island

Long John Silver is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the novel Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson. The most colourful and complex character in the book, he continues to appear in popular culture. His missing leg and parrot, in particular, have greatly contributed to the image of the pirate in popular culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swashbuckler</span> Stock character in literary works

A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring, and idealistic: he rescues damsels in distress, protects the downtrodden, and uses duels to defend his honor or that of a lady or to avenge a comrade.

Sir Matthew Christopher Bourne is a British choreographer. His productions contain many classic cinema and popular culture references and draw thematic inspiration from musicals, film noir and popular culture

<i>Kidnapped</i> (novel) 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson

Kidnapped is a historical fiction adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, written as a boys' novel and first published in the magazine Young Folks from May to July 1886. The novel has attracted the praise and admiration of writers as diverse as Henry James, Jorge Luis Borges, and Hilary Mantel. A sequel, Catriona, was published in 1893.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Tennant</span> Scottish actor (born 1971)

David John Tennant is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in the sci-fi series Doctor Who. He returned to the show as the fourteenth incarnation of the character from 2022 to 2023. His other notable screen roles include DI Alec Hardy in the crime drama series Broadchurch (2013–2017) and its 2014 remake, Kilgrave in the superhero series Jessica Jones (2015–2019), Crowley in the fantasy series Good Omens (2019–present) and various fictionalised versions of himself in the comedy series Staged (2020–2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Stott</span> Scottish stage, television and film actor

Kenneth Campbell Stott is a Scottish stage, television and film actor who won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1995 in the play Broken Glass at Royal National Theatre. He portrayed the dwarf Balin in The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phyllis Logan</span> Scottish actress

Phyllis Logan is a Scottish actress, known for playing Lady Jane Felsham in Lovejoy (1986–1993) and Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey (2010–2015). She won the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for the 1983 film Another Time, Another Place. Her other film appearances include Secrets & Lies (1996), Shooting Fish (1997), Downton Abbey (2019) and Misbehaviour (2020).

David Greig is a Scottish playwright and theatre director. His work has been performed at many of the major theatres in Britain, including the Traverse Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, Royal National Theatre, Royal Lyceum Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and been produced around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Heughan</span> Scottish actor

Sam Roland Heughan is a Scottish actor, producer, author, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his starring role as Jamie Fraser in the Starz drama series Outlander (2014–present) for which he has won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Cable Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor and the Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television, and received a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

English Touring Theatre (ETT) is a major touring theatre company based in London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cairney</span> Scottish actor (1930–2023)

John Cairney was a Scottish stage, film and television actor who found fame through his one-man shows on Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Service, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and William McGonagall.

Daniel Craig Jackson, also known as D.C. Jackson, is a Scottish playwright, born in 1980.

<i>One Man, Two Guvnors</i> Play by Richard Bean, first performed in 2011

One Man, Two Guvnors is a play by Richard Bean, an English adaptation of Servant of Two Masters, a 1743 Commedia dell'arte style comedy play by the Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni. The play replaces the Italian period setting of the original with Brighton in 1963. The play opened at the National Theatre in 2011, toured in the UK and then opened in the West End in November 2011, with a subsequent Broadway opening in April 2012. The second tour was launched six months later, playing the UK, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. The second UK production in London closed in March 2014, before a third tour of the UK began in May 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Lowden</span> British actor (born 1990)

Jack Andrew Lowden is a Scottish actor. Following a four-year stage career, his first major international onscreen success was in the 2016 BBC miniseries War & Peace, which led to starring roles in feature films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Donachie</span> Scottish actor

Ronald Eaglesham Porter, known professionally as Ron Donachie, is a Scottish actor. He is known for starring as DI John Rebus in the BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of the Ian Rankin "Rebus" detective novels and for his supporting roles in films The Jungle Book (1994), Titanic and television series Doctor Who and Game of Thrones.

John Richard Tiffany is an English theatre director. He directed the internationally successful productions Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Black Watch and Once. He has won 2 Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, a Drama Desk Award and an Obie Award.

<i>Dark Road</i> (play)

Dark Road is a 2013 play written by Ian Rankin and Mark Thomson. It made its world premiere at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh in September 2013, and is expected to embark on a UK tour in 2014.

David Hutchinson is a British theatre producer and director. He is the founder and CEO of The Path Entertainment Group as well as the founder and CEO of Selladoor Worldwide, formerly Sell a Door Theatre Company Hutchinson attended the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts 2006 to 2009 and graduated with a BA (Hons) in Acting.

Solaris is a 2019 science fiction play based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Stanisław Lem, adapted for the stage by David Greig. Its notable feature is different gender of the protagonist, as well as gender-balanced spaceship crew, combating the science fiction male-dominated cliche.

<i>Pride and Prejudice*</i> (*sort of) 2018 play by Isobel McArthur

Pride and Prejudice* is a play by Isobel McArthur, with songs, based on Jane Austen's novel. The play is designed for a cast of five or six women, each playing a servant and several of the main characters. After an initial production in Scotland in 2018 and a tour in 2019–20, it opened in the West End in 2021 and toured again in 2022–23. The production won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.

References

  1. 1 2 "Kidnapped review - razzle-dazzling Robert Louis Stevenson". The Guardian . 3 April 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Kidnapped review - Stevenson with pop songs and gay romance" . thetimes.co.uk. The Times. 2 April 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  3. ↑ "Kidnapped: Turning Stevenson's classic adventure into a new coming-of-age stage show" . scotsman.com. The Scotsman. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  4. ↑ "Behind the scenes at the National Theatre of Scotland's RLS adaptation". heraldscotland.com. The Herald Scotland. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "Kidnapped: New take on classic tale headed for Inverness". pressandjournal.co.uk. The Press & Journal. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "Tour archive for Kidnapped (Play). 28th March 2023-13th May 2023 [TOUR]". uktw.co.uk. UK Theatre Web. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  7. ↑ "Kidnapped". brightonfestival.org. Brighton Festival. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Kidnapped - A swashbuckling rom-com adventure". nationaltheatrescotland.com. National Theatre of Scotland. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  9. ↑ "Kidnapped review at Theatre Royal Glasgow" . thestage.co.uk. The Stage. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "2023 Shortlist". criticsawards.theatrescotland.com. Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.