Directing Melodrama: Lady Audleys Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon - Term Paper Example

Lady Audley’s Secret “Lady Audley’s Secret” is a complex and subtle novel written by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. This novel is supposed to be the foundation of the sensational novels. Suspense, murder, coincident, adultery, madness, bigamy, mistaken identity are some of the special ingredients which make the novel a sensational one and Lady’s Audley’s secret fulfils all these characteristics. That is why it is categorized as a sensational novel. The audiences get flabbergasted by the inversion of a typical Victorian lady into a villainous character. Lady Audley is described as a very innocent, Childlike, fragile and blonde lady. But when her real face is disclosed before the audience it is an unexpected shock for them. This novel was later converted into drama by many playwrights. This is a typical melodrama and while converting it into the play the director should adapt the story according to the requirement of the features of melodrama and for that he has to have the knowledge of the genre called melodrama. Keywords: subtle and complex, sensational novel, suspense, murder, coincident, adultery, madness, bigamy, melodrama Introduction and Background: I have already mentioned above that this novel is a subtle. It is so because it includes an appalling conspiracy orchestrated by a very innocent looking Victorian lady. This conspiracy is both hidden and injurious. It is a subtle novel also because it is difficult to understand the psyche of the protagonist. Her character is complex to analyze. She is villainess but we cannot deny the fact that her circumstance has made her to be villainess. The term sensation novel was widely practiced in the 1860. The term was basically used for the fictions written with surprise and shock. The term can be traced back to the novel Dion Boucicault by Colleen Bawn. It was literally stuffing middle class audience into the Adelphi Theatre in 1860. This novel was full of mystery, action, and emotions which are the special characteristics of the melodrama. Many of these features of the melodrama passed into the sensational novels, like Wilkie Collins’ “The woman in white” (1860), Dickens “Great Expectations” (1860-61), and Mary Elizabeth Braddons “Lady Audley’s Secret.” The plays were adapted from this novel by many playwrights. Among them are George Robert (1863), William Suiter(1863), Tom Taylor (1865), Henry Dunbar (America, 1866), There are ten major characters which include Lady Audley, Sir Michael Audley, Robert Audley (his nephew), George Talboys, Luke Marks, Bibbles, Alicia (Sir Michael’s daughter), Phoebe Marks, and a servant Martin. The stage version of this novel is quite different where the protagonist, Lucy Audley was shown totally in a negative shade. She is the villainess while in the novel the lady is quite ambivalent. She is the governess who attracts an affluent old man. Elizabeth Braddon was acclaimed by many critics for her sensational pattern. While appreciating the novel Peter Thomson says, “Mrs. Braddon was one of many ‘sensation’ novelists to cash in on the fame of Charles Dickens; her Lady Audley’s Secret (1862), a luridly vengeful ‘woman with a past’ story, was still being serialized when unsanctioned dramatized versions opened at three London theatres. Such novels were meat and drink for theatrical journeymen, and remained so into the next century.” [1] As a sensation novelist, Braddon was often condemned by people for her stories of crime. Critics also attacked her because they felt that an authoress of originality and merit ought to aspire to higher things; (Peterson, 160). Murder mysteries, like melodramas, have specific characteristics that are necessary to keep them true to form. These characteristics include coincidence, return, disguise, madness and buried information. Popular in most Victorian mysteries, Lady Audleys Secret, especially uses these techniques in unfolding its plot. The novel is best suitable for the genre of melodrama. Hence while directing the novel into a drama the playwright has to consider it from the point of view of melodrama and before directing this play the playwright is need to find out the Victorian characteristics of the melodrama. Melodrama Melodrama is also called as a sensational genre. The word melodrama evolved from the Greek melos, meaning songs, music drama. It is based on the deed, action. They are basically the tragedies. The central theme of melodrama as described by Northrop Frye, in “Anatomy of Criticism” is that the melodrama is “the triumph of moral virtue over villainy, and the consequent idealizing of the moral views assumed to be held by the audience.” [3] Footnote: [1 page 246, “The Cambridge Introduction to English Theatre, 1660-1900,]Peter Thomson [2]] “Anatomy of Criticism” by Northrop Frye [3] Northrop Frye, in “Anatomy of Criticism” In nineteenth and twentieth century literature melodrama was known as a “democratic drama,” which was condemned by the people as sensational, sentimental entertainment for the “masses.” While presenting Lady Audley’s Secret we have to consider it from the point of view of a melodrama, it is important to explain why and how the genre fit into Victorian culture. In order to use this play as a melodrama the director should use various techniques. These include the following aspects. Firstly it should have the proximity and familiarity to the audience. Rather proximity is one of the great elements of sensation; the target of the story is to electrify the nerves of the audience. It becomes thoroughly effective when the scene is laid out in our own days and among the people who are quite acquainted with us, and frequently be in contact with us second one is the deception rather than venomous malevolence, and the third one is that there is a lack of character development and especially the role of social status. In the plays with romantic plot an author manipulates the events to act on the emotions of the audience without regard for character development or logic (Microsoft Encarta). Characteristics of melodrama in Lady Audley’s Secret Mystery is one major aspect. Crimes in Braddon’s novel are concealed and secret and committed by the people belong to the affluent class and a good status that is why it is the unexpected and shocking for the audience. Lady Audley’s secret ends with a happy ending and a note of the triumph of good over evil but at the same time it is made cleared that it is possible in melodramas only. Murder mysteries, like melodramas, have specific characteristics that are necessary to keep them true to form. These characteristics include coincidence, (e.g. Helen as Lady Audley or her second husband being the friend of Robert Audley) return (Return of George Talboys), disguise (Lady Audley’s disguise as an innocent girl), madness (Lady Audley becomes mad in the end) and buried information (the truth about her past, Luke’s knowledge about the mysterious disappearance of Talboys), Lady Audleys Secret, especially uses all these techniques in unfolding its plot. While directing Lady Audley’s Secret, the director should understand the type and the requirement of this story. The major focusing thing in it is the mystery, the suspense, which the director is supposed to preserve till the end of the story. Phoebe’s reaction is very significant. So this is what my lady hides in the secret drawer,” she muttered. (Chap. 3, ‘Lady Audley’s Secret’) This dialogue signifies the suspense of the novel which should be taken in a very effective way with the suspense music and light effects which will show Phoebe’s suspense face. One fine incident is there which should be presented by creating a dreamy mood on the stage. The incident happens in chapter iv when Robert Audley and George Talboy meet each other and Talboy starts revealing his dream when he says, “I shall take a villa on the banks of the Thames, Bob,” he said, “for the little wife and myself; and we’ll have a yacht, Bob, old boy, and you shall lie on the deck and smoke, while my pretty one plays her guitar and sings songs to us.  She’s for all the world like one of those what’s-its-names, who got poor old Ulysses into trouble.” (Chapter 4) Here the director can use the effect of the music and the lighting which will be relevant to express his pensive mood. Light effects: Lighting can be expressively used through the use of the shadows, coloured filters. The effect of artificial lighting is enormous to catch the mood of the scene or the characters. Different colours of the light should be used to show the different moods. For example, when Talboys tells his memories about his wife, blue shade of light can more effectively represent his nostalgic feelings. To show the festival the director can use the full dark yellow lights to create the festive mood. Then red coloured lights are more preferable to show the negative shade of Lady Audley especially in the scene when she pushes her first husband Talboy into the well. After this incident the director can darken her character by using the red light on her face to show her guileful countenance. Music According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary melodrama is a play with songs interspersed and with the Orchestral music accompanying the action. Thus according to that context, music is the soul of this theatrical genre. It is the major element to enhance the effect. In the drama a creative and skillful director can use relevant and fine effect. One more example here I would like to share is that in the incident when Talboy read the news of the death of his beloved wife he shocked and This emotion must directly hit the audience and for that the director can use the sound of the roaring waves which forcefully hit the shore. It is the skill of the director to blow the audience with special effect and the music. At that time dialogue is not the important factor at all but the presentation of the scene and its impact on the audience is most important. The music should be there in the beginning and in the end of every scene and act. Music overlapping to the dialogue also can be used to enhance the effect of the speech. Incidental music can also be used. Incidental music is a background music which adds atmosphere to the action. I also enhance the symbolism. The stage arrangement will be of a coffee house, where the two friends are involved in coffee and chatting. Here the director can use the sound of the waves mixed with the music to create the effect of the dream. This fine mingle of different sound will enhance the effectiveness of the incident. Conclusion Be While converting any novel into a drama pattern the director is required to adapt the novel according to the pattern of the play. In that case he/she has to change the original text to make it suitable for the play. The director in such case has to rewrite the story to fit for the stage. The story should be developed through special effects, dialogues and the music. In such case the director has full scope to show his creativity. Being a playwright of Lady Audley’s secret is a great challenge before any person. Adaptation, direction, and presentation of this play are not a simple task. It need extraordinary creativity, thinking capacity from all perspectives and a thorough knowledge of the genre melodrama, the sense of music all these qualities are very essential to work on this novel. The ideal director should be well-informed with the likings of the audience and he should write the play accordingly. So he has the knowledge of the mob in which he is going to perform his play. Because after all whatever he writes, it is for the people. So he has to tune with the inclination of the audience if he wants to write the successful play on any sensational novel. Sources: 1. Lady Audley’s Secret – By Mary Elizabeth Braddon – Published 1862 Publisher –Belford , Clarke. & Company 2. “The Cambridge Introduction to English Theatre, 1660-1900, by Peter Thomson, published by Cambridge University Press). 3. “Anatomy of Criticism” by Northrop Frye -Princeton University Press, 1957 4. Microsoft Encarta 5. http://www.bookrags.com 6. Melodrama: Genre, Style, Sensibility  By John Mercer, Martin Shingler Read More