Dangerous liaison that leads to hatred and hell
WHAT starts as an innocent encounter in a bar develops into a sinister romantic connection. Fatal Attraction is running at the Theatre on the Bay in Camps Bay until April7, and if you haven’t yet seen this riveting albeit disturbing drama, make a date to do so.
The drama is an adaptation of James Dearden’s 1987 movie, a haunting psychological thriller which featured Glenn Close and Michael Douglas. Centred on a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman who refuses to allow it to end and becomes obsessed with him, it captured the imagination of the world. In the film and now the play, blame and sympathy with each character is tantalisingly balanced.
Ashley Dowds, who plays Dan Gallagher, says: “As a theatre piece it’s not about realism and that is what has become very exciting about the production here. A lot has been stripped away and it’s not a comfortable play to watch.
“And while it has been localised, the theme is universal and you could be anywhere. Basically as Dan, I have to respond to a trajectory of fate and what all these characters throw at me.
“The play has no interval and one’s taken on a roller-coaster ride. And what is important to note is the relationships are not binary. There’s no bad guy, good guy – there’s much more to that character as it’s got limitless possibilities.”
Dowds says of the “tag line” of the play, “when everything’s stripped away there’s nowhere to hide” – “that happens in the story and in our performances”.
Speaking of Belgian director Paula Bangels, Dowds says of her work with the five characters on stage, “it feels like you are being conducted by a maestro”.
Veteran director Bangels, also an actress and acting coach, had a hand in adapting the play for stage and has directed it many times before.
At a recent media dialogue and preview, she said: “The play is not a duplicate of the film. Indeed it’s without the complications of Hollywood.
“When Dan (a man with friends, a brilliant career, a loving family, a stunning wife) gets into unexpected conversation with an attractive intelligent woman, Alex, while his wife Beth is out of town, an unsought for liaison occurs that unsettles him. But he will soon forget; it will pass – or so he thinks…
“Alex is a woman who believes in her rights. And she believes their brief actions and words have justified rights – over him.
“Actions have consequences and Dan’s continuous rejection of her, in preference to defending his family, turn Alex’s feelings slowly from open fondness to pure hatred as this blood-curdling tragedy and her revenge of rejection turns Dan’s life mercilessly into a living hell.
“We are reminded that people’s actions and circumstance are less influenced by who they are than by what happens to them.”
She compares the play to a Greek drama – “essentially it’s the downfall of a good person and both the protagonists have a fatal flaw. It’s about ‘hubris’, in that you think you are right. But life’s not neat and you can’t tie bows on it.”
Fatal Attraction also stars Jenny Stead, Jazzara Jaslyn, Jo da Silva and Alex Tops.
Tickets from Computicket.com or call 021 438 3301.