In London, at the Arts Theatre – I saw it – The Balcony was badly staged. It was also bad in New York, Berlin, and in Paris. At least that’s what I was told. In London, the director had had the intention of destroying the one and only British monarchy, above all the Queen, and, with the scene between the General and the Horse, to satirize the notion of war, complete with barbed wire.
Barbed wire in a high-end brothel!
In New York, the director had completely lifted everything that made reference to the revolution.
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In the first four scenes almost everything is exaggerated, while at the same time there are certain passages where the tone should be more natural, which will only inflate the exaggeration. Ultimately there is nothing equivocal, but rather two tones that are in conflict.
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On the contrary, starting with the scene between Irma and Carmen and continuing all the way until the end, it is about discovering a narrative tone ever ambiguous, always awkward and unstable.
The protagonists’ feelings, derived from their situations, are they feigned or are they real? The anger, towards the end of the play, as demonstrated by the Chief of Police, is it fake or real? The existence of the rebels, are they inside the brothel, or outside? It is necessary to keep this ambiguity all the way until the end.
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Try to make a sensible rivalry that could actually be plausible between Irma and Carmen. I mean: who is in charge? Of the house? Of the play? Carmen or Irma?
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I had the idea to make the three main “Figures” wear extremely tall shoes. How will the actors be able to walk in these without falling flat on their faces, or tripping over their own feet or the fabric of their lace skirts? They just have to learn.
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Not to say it was all bad. The London production’s director had had an idea: the actress playing the Horse was drawing mustaches with a piece of coal on the General with love during one of his tirades.
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Between Irma and the Chief of Police, their brief moments alone should reveal an old tenderness. I don’t know why.
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One more thing: don’t play it as if it were a satire of this or of that. The play is – and therefore interpreted as – the glorification of the Image and Reflection. Its meaning – satirical or not – will appear only if this is note is taken seriously.
