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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Really fascinating exploration of cloning and the human cost.
A Number... of Clones
Review of the Theatre Communications Group paperback (2003) of the original Nick Hern Books hardcover (2002)
If you've followed my Goodreads reviews for a long enough time, you will have likely noticed that I have somewhat of an obsessive interest in the music of the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. This causes me to document all sorts of related offbeat items such as listing books with Fictional Characters Who Love Arvo Pärt or books with Poetry Inspired by Arvo Pärt alongside books about the music of the composer himself.
Actors Lennie Henry and Paapa Essiedu in the 2022 revival of Caryl Churchill's "A Number" at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England. Photograph sourced from the Guardian.
So when I saw a recent review of a revival of Caryl Churchill's play A Number (2002) which included the lines:
Churchill's play deals with the subject of cloning. Over the course of 5 scenes, a father named Salter meets with different versions of his son, one named Michael and two named Bernard (called B1 and B2 in the script). The same actor plays all versions of the son. The dramatic tension of the play involves each of the sons confronting the father after learning that they are only 1 of perhaps many copies. There is also uncertainty about whether the father is telling the truth to all of them. Each son feels betrayed in their own way about not being unique and one is even set on murdering the others.
This was an interesting play about the ethics of cloning and it certainly sets up a terrific set of variations for the younger actor in the piece to play different versions of the same person. I was pleased to discover it due to its musical interlude association.
Trivia and Link
Caryl Churchill's A Number first premiered in 2002 with Michael Gambon and Daniel Craig in the father and sons roles.
Actors Daniel Craig (who played the sons) and Michael Gambon (who played the father) in a promotional photograph from the premiere performances of "A Number" in 2002 at the Royal Court Theatre. Image sourced from The Guardian.
A Number was adapted for a television film version in 2008 directed by James MacDonald and starred Rhys Ifans as the sons and Tom Wilkinson as the father. A trailer for it can be viewed on YouTube here.
Review of the Theatre Communications Group paperback (2003) of the original Nick Hern Books hardcover (2002)
If you've followed my Goodreads reviews for a long enough time, you will have likely noticed that I have somewhat of an obsessive interest in the music of the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. This causes me to document all sorts of related offbeat items such as listing books with Fictional Characters Who Love Arvo Pärt or books with Poetry Inspired by Arvo Pärt alongside books about the music of the composer himself.
Actors Lennie Henry and Paapa Essiedu in the 2022 revival of Caryl Churchill's "A Number" at the Old Vic Theatre in London, England. Photograph sourced from the Guardian.
So when I saw a recent review of a revival of Caryl Churchill's play A Number (2002) which included the lines:
Turner’s production is beautifully rounded – and spiky. Every aspect presses on Churchill’s themes. Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, an insistent set of variations, is woven between scenes.I was obviously going to follow that up with at least a reading of the play.
Churchill's play deals with the subject of cloning. Over the course of 5 scenes, a father named Salter meets with different versions of his son, one named Michael and two named Bernard (called B1 and B2 in the script). The same actor plays all versions of the son. The dramatic tension of the play involves each of the sons confronting the father after learning that they are only 1 of perhaps many copies. There is also uncertainty about whether the father is telling the truth to all of them. Each son feels betrayed in their own way about not being unique and one is even set on murdering the others.
This was an interesting play about the ethics of cloning and it certainly sets up a terrific set of variations for the younger actor in the piece to play different versions of the same person. I was pleased to discover it due to its musical interlude association.
Trivia and Link
Caryl Churchill's A Number first premiered in 2002 with Michael Gambon and Daniel Craig in the father and sons roles.
Actors Daniel Craig (who played the sons) and Michael Gambon (who played the father) in a promotional photograph from the premiere performances of "A Number" in 2002 at the Royal Court Theatre. Image sourced from The Guardian.
A Number was adapted for a television film version in 2008 directed by James MacDonald and starred Rhys Ifans as the sons and Tom Wilkinson as the father. A trailer for it can be viewed on YouTube here.
SALTER And you’re happy you say are you? you like your life?
MICHAEL I do yes, sorry.
A chilling depiction of child abuse embedded in a meditation on identity.
I wonder if it is Bernard like a Saint Bernard. Like the dog breed known for being good with kids and very affectionate. Either way, Caryl, you are always incredible.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Confusing on a first read! And no punctuation means you feel it in your soul.
Maybe I should find a quiet place and read it out loud.
Maybe I should find a quiet place and read it out loud.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a very strange read that was required for school. Kind of hard to get into but an interesting topic and it only takes about 30mins to read the whole thing so for me, it was worth it.
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a good play but the cloning was just a convenient plot device; it didn't add anything except making the set of relationships possible. That said, the relationship(s) between Salter and his son(s) were fascinating and well done and I would love to see this staged.
This is probably one of the best plays I’ve read for class. It’s about a man who had his son cloned but the scientist made a lot of them. It’s a question of what makes us human? What shapes us? How do we define the human experience?