'Knife' Movement

Act One, Scene Six of LTROI is a defining point; when Oskar meets Eli. It is a special moment and so it could be argued that the simple text followed by Eli’s laughter is not enough for the occasion. Therefore our theatre company has devised a piece of movement centred around Oskar’s stabbing of the tree whereby the Oskar begins by stabbing the tree in a variation of ways and is slowly joined by other actors, also symbolising Oskar as well as Oskar’s anger and fear, in waves who build up as a unit around him, mirroring the movement of Oskar. Ultimately, the movement builds a lot tension and suspense before the two character’s initial meeting as well as disguising Eli’s entrance enhancing the fact that she is swift, fluent and supernatural.

This movement was inspired by a similar piece in the Apollo theatre’s performance of LTROI although was choreographed by our company. Our main concern was hitting the beat as, this along with the synchronisation of the group, we hoped, would achieve an impacting and effective final result. However, at times I believe the movement might be too simple due to its repetitiveness and might be more effective if we spent a little more time choreographing more and/or different steps. 

Initial Character thoughs

      

Eli - Is Eli Manipulative?

Eli is arguably the most complex character of LTROI; she's 'the girl next door', a young girl, or is she? Whom has been imprisoned in the same body for so many years that she either can't, or refuses to reveal how long. Living for so long, it bares the question what is Eli? No human could live that long, furthermore, am I even right to keep on referring to Eli as 'she'? 

Is Eli Manipulative?
In saying that Eli is manipulative, you are to assume that Eli's motives for befriending Hakan, and more recently Oskar, as ones of using them for self gain, e.g. to stay alive whilst doing no 'dirty work'. However I think it is a shared opinion, including with Apollo's cast, that both Eli and Hakan realise that Eli will potentially create more 'vampires' by feeding herself, as revealed by the film and novel, and so having Hakan kill for and feed Eli is the more reasonable option. Furthermore this may also be because Eli doesn't like to see herself as "that", the animalistic transformation changes her to a point where, I believe, she is no longer in control; her actions simply become out of her control. In terms of her friendship with Oskar, does she see him as a potential replacement for the old and delicate Hakan?

Janne and Erik/Dad - Alcoholism? Homosexuality?

Far across the Interweb, in reviews and forums, a community of the Infected (those who are infected by the love themed throughout LTROI) are speculating over the questions that must be asked; Is Oskar's father homosexual? Or is he an Alcoholic? Is Oskar's Father an Alcoholic Homosexual? It makes it extremely difficult to answer these questions when taking into consideration that in doing so, we must analyse the same scene three times over through the media of stage, film and novel; however the film is accurately true to the novel and so I will be analysing them as one scene. In both the play and film, the characters seem to have different idiosyncrasies, both suggestive. 

In both forms of Media, it is clear that Oskar's mood swings from delighted and playful quickly to disturbed as soon as Janne enters; I think it is fair to assume that it is at this point, the audiences begins to question why? 

The plays adaptation of Let the Right One in was developed by the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama which brings all types of new perceptions to the piece; a new artistic vision, a contrast in cultures, different audience reactions and interpretations, ect. It is in this version of LTROI that, I believe, many of the homosexual rumours are spurred from as subtlety, at one point, Janne places his hand on Erik's / Oskar's Father's knee. The touching of knees is usually associated with a sexual invitation or tease. Later on in the scene Janne then places his hand on Erik's shoulder; also related to a strong bodily attraction however more often it is associated with a friendly connection but also sociology it is taught that if you touch someone on their shoulder, you are more likely to get what you would like. Strangely though, these actions are never mentioned in stage directions.
The film on the other hand shows no such subtle touching. At a first viewing, a British audience may perceive Janne and Erik as homosexual purely down to Oskar's reaction and the continuous up close shots of the two's shify, what some might call 'bedroom eyes'.

From a Swedish point of view I think it is much more clear, however to a British Audience it may be less clear that the films scene's main focus is on the bottle of Vodka;
"Oskar's been through this before - he knows that as soon as the bottle is on the table, he's going right down on his dad's list of priorities. Hence the uneasiness."
-Taken from "http://www.let-the-right-one-in.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2984"
Janne is not Erik's partner but rather his drinking partner, they are alcoholics. This is also supported by the novel.
I think it is disappointing that the stage adaptation is unable to use the same techniques that are available through the media of film to place more focus on the alcohol however if we read more into the text, some might question if the pair are alcoholics in context of culture. In the UK drinking is seen more as a pass time and a way of socialising, however how often is it that a Brit pulls out a home-made brew? More specifically, a home-made spirit? This detail is not atall in the film and so may be considered as a hint by the RSAMD towards Alcoholism.

To conclude, there is no definitive answer; ultimately it is the decision of the director and his or her cast to answer these questions themselves. The answer is reliant on artistic vision; I personally visualise Janne and Erik as Alcoholics and so would like to put more emphasis on this however having been an audience member myself, being left in the position of also questioning is Oskar's Father homosexual? I think it adds another dimension to the characters, giving them more depth and in some sense suspenseful. Furthermore as a cast member, I can imagine it being gratifying to leave the audience in such an intrigued, confused state of mind and so I believe we should also give off some subtle homosexual signals in the scene.


Sidenote: a transcript from the film reveals that Janne used to live next to Oskar, in the flat where Hakan and Eli move into; could this have been how Janne and Erik met? Did Oskar therefore have to deal with whatever his Father's issues are from a young age?

Jonny and Mikie - The Bulger Case and Lord Of The Flies

  

By the end of the play, we must ask ourselves did Jonny and Mikie, really deserve to be brutally murdered by Eli? Are they children born 'evil'? Or are they subjugated by 'evil' backgrounds or 'evil' circumstances? Such as growing up in fear of someone. In some ways we must compare these character's circumstances to that of James Bulger's murders.

As children do they really understand what is the difference between wrong and right? Well I would certainly say yes they do at the age of 12 and so did Thompson and Venables at the age of 10 when they were asked the same question by a psychiatrist. However it is a more modern perception that the Bulger incident was as a result of the boy's backgrounds rather than of an 'evil' within themselves.

Thompson and Venables came from very similar walk of life; both were struggling in school because they played truant, they'd been lumped together in the year below their age and both had parents who had separated. Thompson and his six brothers, it said, grew up 'afraid of each other'. And when their father left them, a Lord Of The Flies mentality descended on their home where each would fight, physically, for power.

In relation to our LTROI characters, we discussed how Jonny could be part of a bully chain that follows :        Aggressive Father → Jimmy → Jonny (→possibly Mikie)

It could also be that the boys, similarly to Thompson and Venables, come from homes where their parents are separated. Therefore, Jimmy and Jonny, and maybe even another brother, may also have Lord Of The Flies mentalities at home.

Scarily about the Bulger case, Jon Venables' father would often rent out videos consistently containing ultra-violence and pornography. Although Mr Venables claims that murder Jon never saw these videos, the last video that he rented out before James Bulger was abducted, splashed with blue paint, and killed under the wheels of a train was 'Child's Play 3'. 

The 'star' is a demonic doll called Chucky, which comes to life in a military academy. He abducts the youngest cadet and tries to kill him under the wheels of a fairground ghost train. But it is Chucky  -  dressed in toddler's dungarees, his faced splashed with blue 'war games' paint  -  who gets horribly mutilated.

If we refer to Jonny and Mikie's so-called Lord Of The Flies mentality; what if one, or both, of the boys has seen the 1963 Lord Of The Flies film, which works with our timeline, and so take on the roles of Jack and Roger and hence befriend 'Piggy'/Oskar, as we discussed Mikie and Oskar were definitely previously friends at a summer camp, and then go on to bully him, physically beat him and attempt to drown him. This is similar to the way that Piggy, from Lord Of The Flies, is murdered and falls into the ocean.

To conclude, I would like to refer back to my question; did Jonny and Mikie really deserve to be brutally murdered by Eli? In doing so I almost feel obliged too ask did Thomson and Venables deserve to be sentenced to life imprisonment? With retrospect, I imagine people reading my previous statement disgusted complaining that the acts of Jonny and Mikie and that of Thomson and Venables were not atall alike however my reasoning is that if you morally weigh up all the specifics in each case, the only real difference is that Thomson and Venables were successful in their crime, I believe Jonny and Mikie to be just as equally brutal. Therefore, if a judge is able to conclude yes, Thomson and Venables were rightly to be the first children tried in an adult court and did deserve to be given a life sentence then my answer is also yes, Jonny and Mikie knew exactly what they were doing and sadly deserve to be brutally murdered by Eli. However, in both cases, the situtation could have, and should have been avoided with better parenting.

Sidenote-It seems others also see the Jonny-Venables similarities as on the website Devian art, one artist 'Art-Ate-My-Heart' depicts Jonny Forsberg as the above Venables image which is usually used to present the boys as evil by the media. - http://art-ate-my-heart.deviantart.com/art/Jonny-Forsberg-213867565

Sweden

'The Swedes are also perceived as “socially closed” and “spiritually empty”.'
-Swedish mentality (1989)


On Swedish Culture:

"Lagom

There is a societal code of conduct in Sweden which really has no direct translation. Loosely translated, the word lagom means ‘just enough’, ‘in moderation’, ‘appropriate’ and other synonyms you can pull out of the dictionary. When used in reference to societal behaviour, it means blending in appropriately without extreme displays of emotion."

"Take off your shoes!

You’ll quickly notice that shoes are taken off when entering private residences in Sweden. Some explain it with the simple fact that Swedes spend a lot of time outdoors during winter and are prone to dragging in dirt. Others say it’s a sign of respect for the home. Either way, you might want to think twice before wearing full lace-up boots when visiting folks."

"The state-owned alcohol monopoly

While you can purchase alcoholic drinks in restaurants and bars, if you’d like to take a sip from the bottle in the privacy of your own home, you’ve got only one legal option of buying stronger alcohol, and that’s from one of the roughly 400 state-run liquor stores."

Adapted from: https://sweden.se/society/20-things-to-know-before-moving-to-sweden/

"Skål! – Drinking behavior in Sweden

Swedes have different follow different patterns when it comes consumption of alcohol than, say, Germans have. During the week, or the days before work, it is rather uncommon in Sweden to drink a glass of wine or bottle of beer in the evening. From Monday to Thursday two-third of the population are completely abstinent from any alcohol (SCB). If you drink alcohol during these days, even if it is just a glass of wine, you might get critical looks from your friends. Some might even assume that you are in danger of becoming an alcoholic. But the amounts of drinks that the Swedes stay away from during the week is quickly compensated by drinking higher quantities during the weekend. To see very drunk people on Friday and Saturdays nights on the streets of the inner cities and in front of the pubs is very common. Particularly at closing hour – around 2 a.m. at night – when most pubs have to close, people stumble out of the pubs on their way to the nearest bus stop or taxi. Party = drinking Many Swedes feel the pressure of having to drink alcohol to be able to go out, be social and party. They consider party = drinking. Going to a Swedish night club without being at least a little tipsy is almost unimaginable for many Swedes. If you stand at a bar and order a soda on a weekend you might get comments from people around you asking “Are you going by car?“. To get in the right mood Swedes meet at pre-parties with friends, also because it is much cheaper way to get drunk than buying the expensive drinks in the Swedish bars and clubs. The concept of having a “white week” or “-month”, which means being abstinent from alcohol for certain period of time, is widely spread in Sweden."

Taken from: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:syFPeZhAlosJ:hejsweden.com/en/the-swedes-and-alcohol-about-drinking-in-sweden/+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

Let the Right One in - Review

 

'Let the Right One in' or 'Låt den Rätte Komma In', was written as a book by John Ajvide Lindqvist in 2004 with brilliant reviews. Since in has been adapted into two films, one using the title 'Let me in (2010)', and a play developed by the Scottish National theatre. Although distinguishing adaptations in all versions, the persisting story through all of them is one of sacrifice, friendship and love aswell as vampires, blood and cruelty.

Let the Right One in (2008) - Film

Although in Swedish, this film was gripping the whole way through. There are plenty more scenes and characters than in the stage adaptation which gives a bigger sense of the local community and area. The actors chose to play the characters originally seemed very young to me due to the considerably adult themes however the way that the characters are written means that the cast choice works perfectly, especially for the character of Oskar.

Let the Right One in (2013) - Play

In my opinion the stage adaptation of 'Let the Right One in' is equally, if not more gripping, than the film. It too has extra scenes which become a vital part of the play and are greatly dramatic. The set is designed so well that you don't need that sense of a large community as it becomes possible, and that the audience becomes convinced, that the whole town exists in the tiny confines of the stage. The characters are played by slightly older actors however this means in many ways Oskar's character seems very strange and childish though this still seems to fit well in many ways.