Helen Maybanks
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
As The Rose Theatre embarks on its production of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Jane McGowan catches up with writer and adapter Rona Munro...
In 1994, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – a story of love, loss and war set on the Greek island of Cephalonia – took the book world by storm. Written by British author Louis de Bernieres, it has sold almost two million copies to date, been translated into numerous languages and become a film starring Nicholas Cage and Penelope Cruz.
Its latest incarnation as a theatre production is about to take to the stage at Kingston’s Rose Theatre. Directed by the award-winning Melly Still, it has been adapted by Rona Munro – the acclaimed writer of The James Plays and Iron.
“I was approached by the producer Neil Laidlow about the project and to be honest, I was thrilled,” says Rona. “But then you realise what a daunting task it is to take this beloved classic and try and create something that won’t disappoint the audience. Actually, it’s quite a mountain to climb.”
Rona, who adapted the celebrated version of Richard Adams’s Watership Down at the Lyric Hammersmith, says the adaptation process begins with her reading and re-reading the book. Once she feels she is living the novel, she then starts breaking down the story into key plot events.
“Once that’s done, you then have to decide which narrative you absolutely have to tell and which you have to let go,” she explains. “As people who know Captain Corelli will appreciate, there is a vast amount of side story and historical detail, as well as a maze of incidental characters that all go into making the book what it is. However, there isn’t room for all of them unless you want to be in the theatre for seven hours. I just have to hope that people who love the book will appreciate what I have done and those who haven’t read it will be inspired to actually go and seek it out.”
The plot centres on Captain Corelli, an enigmatic Italian officer who is posted to a Greek idyll as part of the occupying fascist forces in 1941. At first, snubbed by the patriotic locals, his easy charm and generous nature gradually start to win them over. But when love blossoms with the feisty Pelagia the stakes are very much raised.
A 15-strong cast is set to bring the story to life, alongside a team of lighting and sound designers, all aiming to capture the essence of this magical, musical isle. And while Rona has spent months living and breathing de Berniere’s tale, she very much sees her role as that of facilitator and is happy to hand over the look and feel of the production to the director.
She says: “It’s the job of the writer to provide the director with what you think the audience needs to experience – a plot and dialogue that enables them to then pull that off. How they go about that has to be up to them.”
But one area that Rona does like to be involved in is the casting process. Nicholas Cage came in for a lot of stick from both fans and critics alike after he was cast to play the enigmatic lead in the 2000 film, with some branding him ‘disastrously miscast’ in a film that turned out to be an ‘unholy mess’. But for Rona, who has written for both the old and new Doctor Who franchise, the shadow of what has gone before is not a problem.
“It should always be about the feel of the piece and the characters,” she insists. “Everyone’s mind’s eye is different so what I am looking for is an actor, not an appearance. If you have got a good enough actor, they can make you see anything.”
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is at The Rose Theatre, Kingston until May 12. For more details, visit: rosetheatrekingston.org