Back to the Future Nostalgia for a New Generation of Fans

Put Your Mind To It!

    Since its premiere in 1985, "Back to the Future" has become a cinematic classic. The story of time travel, science and love, with Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as the charismatic Doc, moved the hearts and inspired audiences worldwide. It couldn't have been less spectacular of a time machine than one in a DeLorean. 

    I was excited to see the musical based on the film in Adelphi Theatre in Covent Garden just before Christmas. Expecting to hear a couple of songs from the movie and view a performance in front of a fancy car, I was amazed to realise it was so much more than that! I was blown away by stunning special effects, top quality stage design and props made with attention to the most significant detail!

    It is an incredible challenge to recreate a cinematic experience in a theatre. Yet, as my art teacher would always say, limitations force one to think outside of a box and trigger the most spectacular work. The technology used in the show comes from railway engineering, where train turntables alter the locomotive's direction by turning the platform on which it is standing. A circular turntable at the centre of the stage allowed sets and the iconic car to be brought in and removed quickly. Complicated constructions, buildings and vehicles appeared and disappeared in split seconds. 

    The final scene redefined human perception: DeLorean lifted in the air with passengers inside and turned upside down in front of our eyes, unsupported by any hydraulic systems or lifts. It was magic!

    The acting was marvellous, with an exceptional performances from Hugh Coles as George McFly, Roger Bart as Doc and Cedric Neal as Mayor. The musical's morale, "You can do it if you put your mind to it", is uplifting. Everything is possible. Every significant achievement starts with a vision.

    I was impressed with the detail of Emmet Brown's workshop. With his tools, half-finished projects, scientific curiosities, vintage armchairs and dimmed lights, it was an atmospheric cross between a bachelor's shed and a secret laboratory. Once turned around on the stage, it would reveal the front of Lorraine McFly's house. It was astounding, as if looking at a coat with a colourful liner you can wear inside out and marvel at its multiple functions.

    The only downfall was the score. The songs that originally appeared in the movie were recreated with perfection. However, large sequences were added to the show, merging “High School Musical” and “Back to the Future” into one play. That idea did not appeal to me.

    Unforgettable illusionistic effects were designed by Chris Fisher - a professional magician known for his work on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I thought such tricks were impossible in front of a live audience. Yet, I was there in Adelphi Theatre in person, looking at everything with my own eyes,  blown away by the revolutionary scale of the project and the mystery of the scenes.

    I would highly recommend the show to everyone, especially families. It is an energetic attempt to bring back a cinematic classic we all know and have a personal connection with. It is never easy to recreate the same emotions and the atmosphere of the original movie. Let the story of an enthusiastic scientist, energetic teenager, time travel, and the stunning DeLorean enchant us again, this time on stage.

Agnes Prygiel / London / 15.01.2022

The Midnight Bell in Sadler's Wells

Longing for Love

My connection with Matthew Bourne's plays is personal. Being a friend of one of the cast members puts me in the position of a faithful follower who always watches all the shows, sometimes more than once. Having seen "Cinderella", "Romeo & Juliet", "Red Shoes" and the "The Midnight Bell", allows me to analyse the spectrum of sir Matthew Bourne's work.

This highly accomplished choreographer and director is always fascinated with things happening in the shadows of glamorous lifestyles, at the edge of a broad scope of vision. In his reinterpretation of a children's classic, Cinderella is a young girl growing up with her step-mother and step-brothers in a big house during the II World War, being molested by one of her older siblings. In his take on Shakespeare's iconic play, Bourne reimagines Juliet as a vulnerable young adult, living in a boarding school, experiencing sexual abuse from one of the guards, unable to break free. 

There is always a gay romance somewhere in the background, a subtle emotion of two men unable to express their feelings openly. 

Bourne's plays remind me of vintage photographs that somehow came to life. Fashion, gestures and movements carry the feeling of nostalgia, influenced by silent movies and musicals. 

There is a contrast between things happening during the day and the night. Darkness represents hidden desires, suppressed impulses, creating perfect hiding for those looking for tenderness. The director's visionary pieces are ultimately about love, our longing for a deep, passionate line of understanding with another human being.

At the centre of "The Midnight Bell" is a London pub and its' unusual clientele. Inspired by Patrick Hamilton's novels, the play focuses on five unusual affairs. 

The first is the relationship between the pub's manager and a local prostitute. Fascinated with the beautiful seductress, the young man falls for a woman who makes financial gain from love. How will he ever know if her feelings are genuine?

The second is a turbulent fantasy in the mind of an eccentric poet with mental health issues, obsessed with a famous socialite.

A married woman is dating a gigolo. Two gay men, one of them being a policeman, explore homosexuality. An older gentleman proposes to a waitress.

All the plots revolve around the fleeting desire to be fully understood and completed in a relationship. Following the threads simultaneously, we see them developing in multiple directions. 

Having read the reviews describing the play as dark and intoxicating, I somewhat disagree with those labels. There is an element of optimism and humour in "The Midnight Bell". Not all the characters get what they wish for, but in a way, neither does anyone in the real life. For me, Bourne's performances are always about hope for finding true love and fulfilment.          

I was delighted to visit the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London and see the play with my friend and an accomplished architect Peter Fitzpatrick, film director Ken Loach, his lovely wife Lesley and two daughters. After the show, we did not get to speak to Matthew Bourne in person, but we were thrilled to meet the cast. It was an exceptional evening for my friends and me.

Agnes Prygiel, 10.10.2021