Where can you start with Brimstone and Treacle.
Well lets start with some basic history. Brimstone and Treacle was part of the play for today season for the BBC in 1976. Masterfully written By Denis Potter it was band by the BBC just before it was due to air . It was not broadcast until 1987. Strangely everyone agreed, even those that initially stopped the original broadcast that Brimstone and Treacle was a brilliant piece of work but to strong for some tastes and sensibility's.
Well did they have a point..
Well although I don't agree with the banning of this work. I do understand the BBC's thinking back in 76, mainly because its possibly the most original , disturbing, humorous and strangely uplifting work ever to come out on UK TV and still packs a punch today.
The basic story..
Brimstone and Treacle concerns a young man called Martin who may or may not be the devil or a demon? Martin is looking for some sort of victim. someone who he can worm his way into there lives and cause some chaos . He does this by pretending to be an old acquaintance. In this case his victim is Mr. Tom Bates a trivial little man who Martin try's to convince that he was in love with Bates daughter. Bates who obviously knows nothing of this and is suspicious of Martin tells him that his daughter Patricia was in a a car accident and has suffered catastrophic brain injuries. Martin pretends to faint and causes a scene . Eventually Mr Bates tells Martin that he will go and get his car and be back to get him. But Mr bates has no intention of returning.. Unfortunately Martin has lifted Bates wallet and now has Bates address.
In the Bates home things are in a horrible situation. The trivial Mr Bates spends his time blaming everyone from the immigrants to the IRA their situation Mrs Bates is a loving kind and totally naive mother cut off from the outside world because of her daughter lost in servitude. Patricia her daughter, since the accident has become a drooling , spasmodic wreck of a once fine young women speaking gibberish with limbs moving independently of thought.. Its a darkly lit claustrophobic existence.
every now and then we see a flash back to Patrica's accident. She is obviously running away from something. Each flash back we get a little more information.
Martin arrives on the Bates door step under pretext of returning the wallet.
When he sees the wreck that Patricia has become , instead of being horrified he greets her with" Hello my Darling". Mr Bates is confused and angered but Mrs Bates sees a sort of salvation. The scene is both funny and unnerving . Mr Bates lets slip that Patrica's friend never visit her, and one he never liked one of Patrica's friends. " she was a slut he says with a real venom .
Eventually Martin worms is way into being allowed to stay the night. He's given Patricia or Patty as the bates call her's room. Martin waists no time looking though Patty's personal things and revelling in his plans for her.
The next day with Mr Bates at work Martin using all his sickly sweet powers, persuades Mrs Bates to go shopping and visit the hairdressers leaving him to look after Patty.
As soon as Mrs Bates is out the door we find out that Martin is going to rape Patty. In a strange little rhyme Martin turns to the camera and warns us the viewers that something very distasteful is about to happen.
We witness Martin pushing Patty around the house comically mocking her and then mostly off camera the rape occurs.
When Mrs Bates returns Patty is quieter. Mrs Bates states that theirs now a light in patty's eyes and that she looks contended . Martin offers to
say a little prayer which turns into a kind mocking evangelical sermon or possible exorcism.
That evening with Mr Bates returned the conversation turns to blame. Mr Bates blames immigration Martin agrees and the two men seen to be getting along but Martin takes things further saying that the national front should deal with the situation and that beating and death camps should be introduced to keep the immigrants in line. Mr Bates starts to back track seeing for possibly first time his errors in judgement.
Than night Martin sneaks down stairs to again assault Patricia. But this time as if by a miracle Patty starts screaming and fighting Martin off her. Patrica is healed and Martin is forced to flee into the night. Patrica is normal and remembers what led top her accident . Mrs Bates is joyful at her daughters recovery an Mr Bates is guilt ridden as it was he that Patty caught in bed with her sluttish friend leading to the accident. Martin is now on the prowl again doing evil or possibly good.
The performances
I can't praise these actors enough.
Michael Kitchen as Martin is a tour de force. He manages to switch from evil to sickly sweet with comic precision. Every look every half veiled sneer every movement if his slight frame conveys his intent. In any other actors hands it could become parody.
Denholm Eliot as Mr Bates give us again a master class in playing the sleazy trivial little man. Angry at the world but to afraid to do anything about it. he Would repeat this roll in the rather tame movie version.
Patricia Lawrence as Mrs Bates is kind of the glue that holds this play together.
She conveys such blind hope and so much naivety. But we the audience feel such sorrow for her. Its a wonderful performance.
Finally
Michelle Newell. Possibly the most difficult roll. Her performance as Patty is astounding in the fact that she both appals the viewer with the involuntary movements and speech and yet also manages to be so subtle in conveying her underlining feeling. I wondered how much research she did to play Patty.
I really don't need to say much about the writer. This is my favourite of his works. Its 1 hour 13 mins of Potter perfection aimed to appal, enlighten, humour and cause debate..
I cant recommend this play highly enough.
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