Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Iwan Rheon, Amaka Okafor, Rufus Sewell, Bill Nighy, Adrian Scarborough, Peter Marinker, Robert Blythe, Ben Crowe, Philippa Stanton.
Tom Stoppard’s pedigree goes before him, he is arguably one of the most prolific and important playwrights of the latter half of the 20th Century and his work has continued to be a source of inspiration and keenly watched and listened to. The idea though that he would come up with an original play that delved deep into the mindset of British Progressive Rock Kings Pink Floyd and their seminal 1973 best-selling album Dark Side of the Moon could be seen by some, if not many, as a voyage of linguistic artistry too far. However if anyone can do justice to the opus that revolves around madness then Tom Stoppard perhaps is one of the finest to even attempt it the daunting process.
Darkside sees the blending of the iconic music from the album, the sheer majesty that encapsulates the tracks and putting into a tale that even David Gilmour and Roger Waters could not have dared to dream possible when the four members of the band finished recording what would be their single greatest achievement as a group and a script that in itself was sheer genius. The notion of fear, philosophy and madness all rolled together and given a theme, the nature of displacement and questioning of a belief and thought process are all underpinned by the moving chords, the natural wonder that made Dark Side of the Moon stay in the charts for an incredible consecutive 741 weeks.
There are many albums that deserve celebrating reaching a particular milestone and Dark Side of the Moon is perhaps more deserving than others. However, it really does take a genius to something that is deeply engrained in the music fan’s psyche and give it a new lease of life, even if it is in the most unconventional of ways.
With Iwan Rheon playing The Boy, a man only seemingly bought to life as a metaphorical construct to determine whether the question of whether to let one person die for the greater good of thousands and the excellent Amaka Okafor as Emily McCoy, the play was well paced and real treat for radio listeners. To have the vocal talent of Rufus Sewell, the artistic delight of Bill Nighy and the growing reputation of Adrian Scarborough also lending more than a hand, the production was a classic example of what can be achieved by radio, a medium which for too long has been derided as television’s poor relation.
To have Tom Stoppard’s play Darkside commissioned and performed on B.B.C. radio is a glowing reflection that music/drama and the ability to tell a story does not have to rely on any optical interference, like the theme of Dark Side of the Moon, it can all be told and visualised inside your head. Even if you rarely listen to the radio, this is a play that should be heard and listened to with keen ears.
Ian D. Hall