[ad_1]
Katie Hims on writing The Trial of Josie Ok for a youthful viewers
‘Kafka for kids?’ I hear you gasp! That’s precisely what we thought after we heard about The Trial of Josie Ok, which performs on the Unicorn Theatre from this week (26 January – 19 February). A remodeling of Franz Kafka’s novel The Trial, it’s a manufacturing for older youngsters (ages 9 to 13) and we had been delighted to have the chance to place author Katie Hims underneath examination to search out out extra about it.
Katie, that is a unprecedented thought, utilizing a Kafka story to take a look at the difficulties felt by younger folks of their trendy lives. How on Earth did you come by the connection?
Kafka’s novel will be learn in quite a lot of methods. Was he writing about his personal psychology or was he writing concerning the legislation, authorities and society? I feel he was doing each. And I’m making an attempt to do the identical right here. I used to be fascinated about writing concerning the guilt that youngsters can typically carry round with them – for issues that aren’t their fault and even in any method in their very own management. Whether or not it’s their mum or dad’s divorce or every other troublesome occasion. And I feel that this sense will be wholly inarticulated, or semi-hidden from the kid themselves. So they’ve a sense of guilt that they don’t totally perceive and can’t place. At the identical time the way in which through which the world treats folks and the way in which it features can typically exacerbate these emotions or create all new emotions of guilt! The Kafkaesque paperwork that all of us – to a sure extent – must function in to reside our each day lives can all the time make a foul state of affairs worse.
You’ve aimed the present at ages 9-13 – a time of life when youngsters will not be fairly adults however are anticipated to begin understanding grownup duties. How does the manufacturing converse to – and about – this viewers and their world?
Our heroine Josie Ok has simply began secondary faculty, and I feel secondary faculty with all its new guidelines and its unusual new corridors has loads of Kafkaesque potential. There is a bewilderment to that have. The world has expanded however on the identical time you’ll be able to really feel such as you your self have shrunk – since you are actually amongst the youngest folks at your faculty slightly than the eldest (as you had been at major faculty.) Parents are nearly utterly uninvolved in secondary faculty life so this new stage must be navigated with out their assist.
Tell me concerning the character of the Bureaucrat. He’s a determine of authority that appears to suit into each sphere, from faculty to any a part of society. Is {that a} intentionally open-ended selection?
I needed to discover somebody to signify the bureaucratic system – somebody who wasn’t merely a policeman or a decide. There are a number of characters within the novel – every kind of authorized figures and others who create recent new issues for Kafka’s protagonist. We didn’t essentially have the choice of a number of characters as a result of I knew I used to be solely allowed three actors! Of course we may have had one actor carrying a number of hats however I felt that then we’d lose the prospect to observe Josie and the Bureaucrat’s relationship develop over time. One of the important thing factors of Kafka’s novel is that the protagonist repeatedly fails to make a human reference to any of the folks he encounters as a result of they’re all working inside a system that doesn’t enable for individuality, kindness or compassion. And I suppose that is the place Kafka and I actually diverge! I needed to construct a connection between Josie and the Bureaucrat as a result of I needed to write down one thing a fantastic deal extra optimistic than the novel, not solely as a result of this adaptation has been written for younger folks, however as a result of I personally am a extra cheerful character than Kafka!
Kafka is admittedly good at utilizing phrases to articulate the de-humanising energy of authority. How do you suppose bodily staging the story, slightly than simply studying it, provides to that, and notably for a youthful viewers?
I don’t know! I don’t suppose it’s a simple learn in any respect and getting the novel onto its toes doubtlessly makes it extra accessible than the ebook – actually for younger folks. I feel the novel does lend itself to being visualised – the surreal dreamlike claustrophobia is enjoyable to stage and hopefully to observe. The state of affairs Josie finds herself in is inherently dramatic. There’s a compelling query driving the novel and hopefully driving the play – what’s she truly on trial for? Within the dialogue between all the characters there’s rather a lot concerning the which means and accuracy of language that I’m hoping displays the enjoyable that Kafka was having with phrases – if Kafka certainly ever discovered writing enjoyable. I wager he did – regardless of his moaning concerning the job! But then most writers moan concerning the job so I shouldn’t single him out.
What would possibly we count on from the staging? Is it more likely to be difficult and convoluted, or straightforwardly obstructive? Is Josie on a journey or in a cell? Or maybe each!
Josie is certainly not caught in a cell! I might really feel very unhealthy placing Josie – who I actually love – right into a state of affairs the place she’s simply caught in a literal jail. Josie is pretty always on the transfer. And our set is sort of a beautiful creation calendar within the colors of Refreshers (the sweets that are available in pastel shades).
Kafka is famend for being absurd and maybe a bit bleak. Is your model of this story completely miserable, or does it have some humour and constructive messaging inside it?
I couldn’t and wouldn’t attempt to write one thing for anybody – not to mention younger folks – that had no constructive message or humour. I feel playwrights ought to above all try and be entertaining. I might select leisure over which means. Although I don’t actually imagine you’ll be able to have one with out the opposite. I hope this play is humorous. I actually do. The novel can at instances be humorous – in a supersonically bleak method! I’ve tried very onerous to write down one thing enjoyable and humorous and optimistic. This adaptation course of has felt like arm-wrestling Kafka. I’m nonetheless unsure who gained. Hopefully the viewers!
Thanks enormously to Katie Hims for taking the time to talk with us about this intriguing manufacturing.
The Trial of Josie Ok is on on the Unicorn Theatre from Thursday 26 January to Sunday 19 February and is aimed toward ages 9-13. Further info and bookings will be discovered right here.