Machinal - Ustinov, Bath / Old Vic

It seems ingrained in the original text to me now I've seen this production; it really does seem like Treadwell was trying to depict something that was wordless at the time and also the oppression of women who lie outside the societal norm.

Unfortunately, I think because it's one of the major studied works at drama schools and because of the rigidity of the education system and, simply put, its unfeeling attitude towards those who are neurodivergent and cannot conform to their standards of answers, alternate but valid readings like this simply don't get talked about, which leads to a lot of directors doing it fairly "by the study book" as what I like to call it.

I'm at a show right now but I'll share more thoughts in a bit..!

The autism aspect is an interesting interpretation. As someone on the high-end of the spectrum and has participated with a theatre company that works with autistic people on all levels, I can certainly see characteristics. Just like I've seen characteristics in characters in other productions like Sam Tutty's character in 'Two Strangers' recently

Certainly the audio-overload affecting the woman with the drilling can be a sign. But I also saw the man holding the drill and his shadow over the woman looked very phallic, so to say, and given what was going on it was easy for me to think I'm watching her conceiving, reluctantly, multiple children over the years. It was only by the end of that scene when I realised that this was all happening after the birth of the first scene.

I also interpreted the way she was on the bed but the doctors were talking to the space next to her as a sign that she was not with it, especially in my interpretation from conceiving so many children from a man she doesn't love, and in her own world. But that could also be a sign of autism. My friend who saw with me however did not understand what it was meant to mean.

So that is why I think Richard Jones' direction was inconsistent. Started off strong at the start with it's depiction of this woman, autistic or not, overwhelmed in a world that is increasingly robotic and mechanised with the rapid development of technology and the rise of office work in the early 20th century, as people become holistically disconnected. A tell-tale sign of what the world is today.

But after that it lacked the clarity and finesse. Only the scene in the dark worked for me. Beautifully staged.

If the main drive of Richard Jones' production was portraying autism at a time when it wasn't known, I feel he should have done more. Partly its the problem with the script with the way it jumps ahead between scenes that prevents further understanding of the character. Like a good 5-6 years goes by between the birth and the speakeasy scenes, as I could tell when they said the age of the child in the trial scene. We could be finding out how the woman is coping as a mother in a loveless marriage, especially from an autism angle. It might have been an opportunity for Jones to do a sequence like the beginning or the honeymoon when the woman and husband arrive at the hotel when a party is on. Why exactly did the woman come along to a speakeasy in the first place?

It's great that people are discussing different themes and it's certainly brought my attention what was in the production. But in the end me and my friend and felt the autism angle was just a supporting theme and that this production was inconsistent what it was trying to achieve.

I have seen this twice now (once second row once in the dress circle) and loved it both times. Sitting second row was obviously superior for the sense of full immersion and a feeling of being caught within the madness and desperation, but the circle gave quite a different, much more observational perspective (which also made me feel complicit in some ways). Lighting and sound as others have said were very good. Rosie Sheehy outstanding.

The notes about autism in this thread are very good, and I wonder whether it's also a reflection of the changing place of women since the 1920s - many of those strong norms for women no longer exist but strong neurotypical norms still do, so the feeling the play elicits (at least for me) about slowly being crushed in an unending dispassionate machine are more commonly felt now in autistic people than in women. Certainly I'm not autistic but still felt it. I do agree that that interpretation wasn't intentional from Richard Jones but comes through in the original play.

The code should unlock an offer price in the price options after Adult / Under 16's.

Any ideas what the code might be?

Thanks!

I hope this is OK to do this due to short notice BurlyBeaR.

I have a ticket for tonight’s Machinal - F15 in the stalls.

My childcare has just cancelled so I can’t make it. As it’s such short notice I’m happy to give this away for free if anyone wants it and can make it? If so message me and I can email it. Unlikely I know but thought I’d check just incase.

Did you read the previous page of the thread (page 3)? Could help.