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Mephisto [A Rhapsody]
Audio Description
Introduction
Welcome to this audio
introduction to Mephisto [A
Rhapsody] at the Gate
Theatre, by Samuel Gallet,
translated from the French
by Chris Campbell.
Directed by Kirsty Housley,
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it is adapted from the
fiercely political cult novel
by Klaus Mann, Mephisto
[Rhapsodie]. The novel is
based on the real-life story
of Gustaf Gründgens whose
dreams of fame led him to
betray everything, and at
the peak of his career,
perform Faust for Hitler.
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Please note that this
production contains
depictions of suicide and
violence, swearing,
references to fascism,
racism, Islamophobia and
drugtaking. It also contains
flashing lights, haze, loud
noises and cigarette smoke.
The production lasts for 2
hours and 20 minutes with
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an interval of 10 minutes.
Please check with the Box
Office for the time of the
touch tour. This
introduction has been
written by Ruth James.
In the town of Balbek, the
far right are about to seize
power. At the local theatre
Aymeric dreams of
celebrity; Luca longs for a
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liberal revolution; Michael is
seduced by the extremists;
Juliette Demba is in fear for
her life. As this political
earthquake convulses
society, Aymeric must make
his choice: resist the forces
of hatred or harness them
for his own success.
As is usual at the Gate, the
theatre is in a different
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configuration. The entrance
for this show is through the
small door at the top of
seven steps, leading up
from the foyer. We emerge
onto a red-carpeted
platform at one end of the
theatre, which has a small
props table to the right and
a clothes rack in front, at
the end of the platform. To
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the left are seven steps
down into the acting and
audience area, the first one
very shallow, all covered by
the same red carpet. There
is a handrail on the right of
the steps.
The theatre is set out as a
long, open room, 15 metres
by 6 metres, with three
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banked rows of black velvet
benches for the audience
on your right as you
descend the steps, crossing
the acting space to reach
them.
From the seats, the long
wall opposite us behind the
acting space, is covered
with a reflective, metallic
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golden surface, as is the
wall behind the seating. To
create different locations,
purple velvet curtains can
be drawn across, which
hang on the far sides as we
enter. Lighting and sound
are also used to
differentiate between
locations, with bright neon
strips along the top of the
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wall and at intervals across
the ceiling, which glow
different colours to
transform the space into
separate rooms, a nightclub
or a party. Sometimes an
actor is held in a spotlight,
while the rest of the space
is plunged into darkness.
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In the centre of the long wall
is an opening, obscured by
a long fringe of glittering
gold metal strips, used as
an exit. Above is a black
panel, on which are
projected indications of the
location, such as ‘Balbek’,
‘To the Sea’ or ‘Capital’.
There is another exit at the
far right of the back wall,
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and the actors also use the
steps up to the platform.
Using the clothes or props
stored on the platform, they
transform into other
characters and sometimes
change there, while the
action continues elsewhere.
To the right is a wooden
wall, with a mirrored sign
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reading ÁPPLAUSE’ above
a wooden Stage Manager’s
desk. Also above the desk
is a row of birdies, small
stage lights, and to its left is
a tall stand holding several
larger stage lights. The
Stage Manager, Devika
Ramcharan, sits behind the
desk, operating the show
from a computer, with her
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script, or Book, before her
and a monitor screen to her
left. There is also a
microphone and a small red
anglepoise lamp. Dev is a
brown woman, with purple
hair cut in a short bob, with
a headset and microphone.
The Props Stage Manager,
Nina Harding, is a white
woman, her long curly
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brown hair tied up in a
ponytail. Both are dressed
in black and move efficiently
around the space, as, with
the cast, they clear chairs
and move props.
As we arrive, there are six
metal-framed chairs spaced
across the red-carpeted
floor, the frames painted red
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and the seats and backs a
yellow plastic. Under the
chairs are set various
props, such as a large blue
plastic bag, beer bottles and
suitcases. Various cast
members walk through,
chatting, reading their
scripts or drinking from the
beer bottles. The two Stage
Managers also walk
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through, making last minute
checks.
In one of the chairs sits a
figure later identified as
Klaus Mann, writer of the
novel Mephisto
[Rhapsodie], dressed in
grey trousers, held up with
striped grey braces, over a
white shirt and blue-spotted
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beige tie, feet shod in light
brown brogues. Before the
show starts, Klaus
disappears and the same
actor reappears as
Barbara, a young white
woman with long chestnut
hair, some knotted at the
back with a black ribbon
away from her full fringe.
Barbara arrives in a beige
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trenchcoat, carrying a large
brown suitcase, previously
stored under her seat. Her
short jeans are a light blue
and she has a white blouse
with a pattern of tiny black
dots.
Fabian Muller is a local
MP, a distinguished white
man in his 50’s, clad in a
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dark blue suit, with a
matching tie, with a small
pin of the French flag in his
lapel. His greying hair is cut
short and he has a neat,
greying moustache. His
forehead is wrinkled into
worry lines. The same
actor also plays Théo
Marber, in a dark brown
tweedy jacket and black
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polo
