Elephant Man was born in Benoit Hattet’s mind some 25 years ago and his devotion to the project - he is the writer, director, designer and actor - is clear in every aspect of this remarkable production.
First performed in France in 2007, Hattet’s intimate play is based on writings by those close to Joseph C. Merrick, the 19th century British medical phenomenon whose short life has been discussed and portrayed many times, though perhaps never with such attention to detail. The play is a dialogue between Merrick and his nurse, Miss Luckes – the excellent Isabelle Bouvrain – in which the audience is actively involved as Merrick’s illustrious guests. The scene is fictional, but every moment has been painstakingly adapted from true anecdotes and the result is a fascinatingly intimate and heartbreaking portrait.
Hattet’s performance is exceptional. His distorted physicality is unwavering, but yet more striking is his constant wheezing, conveyed as an affliction that causes discomfort he has learnt to deal with. Hattet embodies his personable but suffering character so fully it is genuinely surprising to see him stride forward for the bows. This performance is understated and charming, as is the intriguing and subtle relationship between the two characters, Bouvrain’s stern nurse often displaying signs of warmth and affection for Merrick. The majority of the play is so tender and devoid of the melodrama that Hattet could easily have resorted to, that the beginning and end are truly distressing as we see Merrick alone, trapped in his miserable surroundings.
The set is beautifully and simply created with a white box representing Merrick’s ‘home’; during the suspenseful opening, his shadow is visible and his gasping audible through the fabric as Miss Luckes warns the audience of what they are about to witness and how to restrain their reactions. Merrick is revealed with his back turned and, as he slowly stands up, we realise he is too tall for the room, an unsettling indication of the claustrophobia he suffers.
Compagnie du Fomenteur are performing the play for the first time in English, in a translation by Alain Corbel and Emma Lloyd, and, although there are occasional problems with intonation, this almost adds to the Merrick’s vulnerable charm. Bright lighting and sinister music emphasise this helplessness; at other times Gael Desbois’ original soundtrack helps to give a more uplifting tone to Merrick’s storytelling. It is this contrast, along with Hattet’s terrific performance, which makes Elephant Man unforgettable and unmissable.
