Fifteen hundred letters mark the unrequited romance of Franz Kafka and Felice; despite several engagements, the two never married. Stephen Edwards explores their relationship via song and dance, and intertwines the works of Kafka's Metamorphosis and The Trial to demonstrate the battle between the Czechoslovakian writer's intellectual and emotional lives. He furthers this separation by creating two distinct characters, as described by Kafka himself: the "evil" author, played by Jonathan Shankey; and the "good" soul, danced by Caimin Collins. But it is not until the second act that the power and poignancy of this choice definitively hits home.
The musical takes as its framework the style of classic silent films. Projected inter-titles help set the scenes, and in line with the overall melodramatic tone, the actor's gestures and movements are larger than life.
The first act adopts a frenetic, Keystone Kops approach, and reflects the conflicts between Kafka's home, work and writing life, and the early energy of the first flush of the romance.
Edwards' subtle and gentle orchestration blossoms in the second act, as story, action, movement and performance blend to produce a sincerely moving experience. The silent film conceit soars, largely due to the fact that Kafka's soulful alter ego is used to greater effect. Collins is silent, his body fluid as he is buffeted by fate and fellow actors, and he truly embodies the qualities of Buster Keaton that Edwards intends to evoke. Like Keaton, whose battle centred on man versus machine, the emotional Kafka must battle a stronger foe; unlike Keaton, he doesn't succeed.
The creatively staged production, as directed by Karen Louis Hebden, and as performed by a talented cast, fully commits to its story with energy and heart.