Kafkaesque Review

A month ago I, along with a few friends, had gone to experience our first physical theatre at the University Campus Oldham. The first was ‘Missing 1994’, an endearing tale of the struggle two people had to face when their daughter went missing during a family outing. Although the use of contemporary dance to deliver the story was both exhilarating and powerful to watch, I write today about the latter – Kafkaesque.

Inspired by the genius writings of Franz Kafka, (author of The Trial and Metamorphosis) Kafkaesque is the making of four dark and comical tales exploring the tasks and tribulations man faces every day. Actors Adam Urey and Katherine Godfrey play eight memorable characters in all four pieces which last around twenty minutes each. Both the actors and director, Rob Johnston, retain the plays together extraordinarily through impressive dialect and notable performances. Each piece is dreamlike, and yet existential as it carries a strand of desperateness throughout them. Although most do not come to a conclusion, it leaves the audience clinging onto the story and wondering what will happen next.

Kafkaesque begins with ‘An Interview for the Academy’, where the curator (Godfrey) of a scientific academy interviews an ape (Urey), who was kept in captivity for five years and had dramatically attuned his attributes with human ones. Although the speech between the two characters is carried through with witty exchanges, underneath his sophisticated façade the ape is still ape-like; this is demonstrated through the rough agitated movements, and the brilliant monkey makeup. Albeit that it is never revealed how this dazzling ape turned out this way, the audience is left with thought-provoking insight due to the humorous questions the ape asks the curator.

Kafka is known for using universal themes and this is well established in the second tale which I found the most captivating; ‘Men and their Atrocities’. This tale focuses on the issue of whether or not following orders is a defence against wrong deeds. The story is unclear as it is strongly ambiguous of what atrocity had taken place, but the power of Godfrey’s performance was staggering as it consisted of a long monologue which she expertly kept together. The monologue suggests of an elusive master who seemingly brainwashed his servants into committing crimes. Again the audience is left with no conclusion, but Godfrey’s enactment was undeniably perfect.

The third tale, ‘The Work’, was a personal favourite, and just like the previous play had darker themes. A couple’s dissatisfaction with life and the unknown nature of the husband’s work echoes the tribulations man faces and the sacrifices we all have to make.  Urey’s amazing ability to shift and play such contrasting characters was astounding, and portrayed the mix personalities that man has, further proclaiming the universal theme.

The fourth tale ‘The Hunger Artist’, was equally as humorous as the first, and although it was a very unusual story of a man fasting and pleading to an agent to give him work, it conveyed the desperation man faces today, and how modern TV drives us to go mad with the ideology of becoming the next big thing. The performance was undeniable, but I personally felt that the last two tales were too repetitive and ambiguous, and proved to be frustrating for many.

Ticket for the show

Peshkar volunteers with the cast

.x Wandering Daydreamer x.