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Through a Glass Darkly - Almeida Theatre

Through a Glass Darkly - Almeida Theatre

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IntroductionDimitri Leonidas and Ruth WilsonPhoto: Simon AnnandWelcome to the <strong>Almeida</strong> <strong>Theatre</strong>’sproduction of <strong>Through</strong> a <strong>Glass</strong><strong>Darkly</strong>.<strong>Through</strong> a <strong>Glass</strong> <strong>Darkly</strong>, the Oscar-winning film bySwedish director Ingmar Bergman, charts a turbulent 24hours in the life of a family on their annual islandholiday. Reunited after months apart, a father and histwo children navigate the unstable bridges holding theirfamily together, a family both distanced and united bythe mental illness of Karin.Although essentially a ‘chamber film’ and bearing anumber of innately theatrical traits on celluloid, as astage adaptation of a film, <strong>Through</strong> a <strong>Glass</strong> <strong>Darkly</strong>presented a number of challenges to adapter JennyWorton and Director Michael Attenborough. The mostnotable of these was the need to translate the film’siconic visual language into speech and action. Film is amedium where visual storytelling is king, but the stagedemands more from a script than sophisticated imageryalone; a director cannot focus the audience’s eye in suchas strict way nor can you, as Bergman does, cut away toa symbolic shot of stormy sea or barren landscape tounderline a particularly poignant line.The film viewed now may seem somewhat dated,particularly in terms of its handling of psychology andreligion, in light of what we now know about mentalillness and a more popularised and open debate aboutthe place of religion on a social and personal level. Forthat reason, we have kept the piece in its originalcontext, set in the early 1960s on the island of Fårö inSweden. Viewing the play in its original context allows usto see the timeless games at play within the family, theshifting loyalties and boundaries marked out betweenthose most complex of relationships.We look forward to welcoming you and your students tothe <strong>Almeida</strong> <strong>Theatre</strong> and hope that <strong>Through</strong> a <strong>Glass</strong><strong>Darkly</strong> will challenge and inspire you to experience futherthe power of live theatre.Charlie Payne, Samantha Lane & Natalie Mitchell<strong>Almeida</strong> ProjectsFor more information about <strong>Almeida</strong> Projects and our recent work please visitwww.almeida.co.uk/education1Resource Pack: <strong>Through</strong> A <strong>Glass</strong> <strong>Darkly</strong> by Ingmar Bergman

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