Stage Adaptation
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Written by Merlyn
The His Dark Materials trilogy was adapted for the stage in 2003 by Nicholas Wright, to be directed by Nicholas Hytner at the National Theatre in London. Thanks to the very kind people at Nick Hern Books, who published a book version of the script to accompany the release of the play, I was able to read through the text of the play.
Since I first heard about the adaptation to the stage, I was skeptical, like I think most fans are: how on earth will they be able to pull off the epic that is His Dark Materials, and cut it down to two separate, three hour long plays? So much would have to be condensed, cut out, or rewritten... would it live up to the story that I have come to know and love?
The answer was a powerful "Yes!" Nicholas Wright has done an incredible job of adapting this story. His Dark Materials has been completely retold, in the form of a play...Wright recognized that a book is not a play, and that to simply try to stuff in what he could and not change it to fit the medium, would ruin it. Instead, the play does not try to be the books, it tries to be the STORY. And I think it succeeds in capturing it. I couldn't help but feel that I was experiencing it for the first time once again, caught up in the story, surrounded by familiar characters and new ones, all woven together into a magnificent tapestry that reflects and builds upon the original form of the book. Lyra is her stubborn, indignant, and lying self... Coulter is chillingly cruel, Asriel is ambitious, Will is determined and strong. The ending is as heartbreaking as the ending of The Amber Spyglass. Rest assured that all that is necessary to the story is intact, and not merely intact, but as strong and as moving and as powerful as it was in the books.
In the afterword at the back of the book, Nicholas Wright relates some of the story about how it all came about:
"About two years ago, Nicholas Hytner asked me whether I had read His Dark Materials. I told him I had, and I went on to say that the audacity of the books, and their immediacy, and the apparent impossibility of putting them on stage at all meant that they simply had to be done at the National."
He concludes by talking about Philip Pullman, saying:
"Philip Pullman has been supportive and encouraging from the moment the project started. It must be strange to see your writing changing shape to fit a medium as different as the play is from the novel. But Philip's occasional words of advice have never reflected this, and have always led us closer towards creating a piece of theatre that stands up in its own right, not as a tame shadow of the novels."
The Story
So what has been changed? Here's a look at the complete order of events that takes place in the stage play script.
Part I
The story begins in the Botanic Gardens, at midnight (instead of midday) on Midsummer's Eve, when Lyra and Will are in their twenties. They are in their separate worlds, talking to themselves yet imagining that they are speaking to each other instead, and so begin to recall the tale, from it's beginning with Lyra in the Retiring Room (where she hides with Roger), and they overhear about 'Jopari' (not Grumman... understandably, since it would probably be a bit too confusing). Lyra soon afterwards meets Coulter and leaves with her, after being given the alethiometer by the Master. (Church agents, however, have the Master killed later for giving it into the possession of Lyra). Lyra learns that Billy Costa and Roger have both been taken by the Gobblers, but she cannot do anything since Coulter is taking her to London, like in the books. Lyra once again escapes from the Cocktail Party, and is rescued by the gyptians, who are leaving that very night for Trollesund, where they will try to rescue to children. Lyra offers to help with the alethiometer, and they take her along. The Gyptians were one of the only disappointments of the adaptations... John Faa and Farder Coram didn't seem their wise, respected, and powerful selves... they didn't really play a major part other than to get Lyra to the North, but still.
After a very short while (this is one fast ship, from London to Trollesund), they land, and Lyra meets Iorek, who she helps to regain her armor. He and Scoresby join the expedition as it sets out, but Lyra wanders away and finds Billy Costa, who's had his 'Ratter' cut away from him... Lyra is then captured and brought to Svalbard, where she finds Roger briefly in the Canteen. The firedrill is announced, and Lyra trys to escape, but opens the door to the room where the severed daemons are kept. She is discovered, and because of what she has seen, Doctors Cade, West, and Sargent try to sever her. Coulter saves her like in the books, and Lyra lets loose the spy-fly... in the confusion, Serafina Pekkala flies Lyra away to the balloon with Lee, Iorek, and Roger, as Act I of Part I ends. After Lee and Pekkala talk about Dust (during which Pekkala shows Lee Dust through her Amber Spyglass, which Jopari gave to her), Lyra falls out and is captured by bears and taken to Iofur, who she tricks to fight Iorek. Iorek kills Iofur, and Lyra goes to her father with Roger. We are shown the interrogation of a witch by Coulter back at Bolvangar, and Pekkala appears in time to kill her, but simply as herself, not Yambe-Akka. Then it's back to Asriel taking Roger, severing him, and Lyra following Asriel into the aurora.
The witches (who are named Pipistrelle, Caitlin, Grimhild, and Grendella, along with Serafina and Ruta Skadi, who takes the place of Juta Kamainen) make plans, and go their separate ways. Lyra and Will meet in Cittagazze, talk with Angelica and Paolo, and then make omelette etc. They go back to Will's Oxford, but as a sign of trust, they trade the green leather case and the alethiometer. So while Will is looking up his father at the library, Lord Boreal comes along, talks to him, and steals the alethiometer. Lyra is rather pissed at Will for losing it... an interesting change of events, and it seems to add a little bit more strength to Lyra's character that she started to lose at that point in the books as Will began to influence her. She doesn't lose her fire so easily. They go to Limefield House to get the alethiometer, and are told by Boreal about the knife, which they go to get. Paradisi decides to hide on the roof until he dies instead of taking poison... a decision that he will regret later on. Part I closes with an overview of what's happening... short scenes including the witches seeing angels, Asriel quoting Paradise Lost (Into this wild abyss..), Coulter in Cittagazze looking for Lyra, Will going to find John Parry, and it finally ends with the alethiometer reader for the Church, Brother Jasper, saying that he has found the secret name of Lyra that the prophecy of the witches fortold.
Part II
Again, and overview of what's been happening: Lyra and Pan running, Asriel and Coulter's parting at the aurora replayed, as is Roger's death and the witches talking about the prophecy. Lyra meeting Will, Coulter in Geneva, Will talking about his father, Lee Scoresby and John Parry, Will fighting for the knife, and Ruta Skadi confronting Jopari, threatening him that she will kill him.
The Consistorial Court of Discipline is called into session to discuss Jasper's finding about Lyra being Eve, Boreal is there and is told to kill Lyra and Will when they return with the knife. The witches continue to search for Lyra as she and Will break into Boreal's house to get the alethiometer back... they overhear Coulter and him talking: "COULTER: Well that's typical of Lyra (on her choice of Will as a friend). Even at Jordan, she used to find her playmates in the gutter. We had one of her friends at Bolvangar, a beastly little kitchen-boy, called Roddy or Rudy... LYRA: (hiding with Will, watching) I'll kill her! WILL: Calm down! I want you to go back into Oxford, come round the side of the house and chuck a couple of stones at the window, so they go running outside, alright? I'll grab the alethiometer nd run. LYRA: Yeah, all right. I'm still gonna kill her." Yep, Wright got Lyra down all right. Anyway... they escape and meet Serafina, and then we overhear Asriel's speech about the knife in his fort. The Gallivespians are introduced, Tialys and Salmakia as husband and wife... back to cittagazze, where Coulter feeds Paradise to the spectres, and then later Boreal. Lee delivers Jopari in his balloon, then disappears for the rest of the story... no alamo gulch here. Skadi kills Jopari after he speaks with Will and recognizes him. The scene where Will tells Pan that Lyra is his best friend is intact... it was small, but I'm glad that Wright recognized it's importance and left it in... their love is first hinted at there, so it's a necessary scene, and it's pulled off nicely. Coulter attacks the witches with spectres and takes Lyra with her... Balthamos and Baruch appear, and Baruch scouts ahead while Balthamos stays with Will. We're taken back to the botanic gardens in the present day again, and Lyra and Will reflect again. Dr. Sargent explains how the bomb will work to the president of the Consistorial Court, while Tialys and Salmakia send a message to Asriel. Baruch reaches Asriel to tell him about the knife, and then dies. The bears with Iorek find Will, and Will beats Iorek. We then listen in on a presentation in Geneva, and then to the Cave to rescue Lyra, and the break of the knife, and the end of Act I Part II.
Asriel receives the latest news while the knife is fixed by Iorek, then Coulter joins Asriel in the fortress. He sends her and Lord Roke to Geneva. Will and Lyra tell Iorek their plan in a way that resembles, but isn't identical to the book... again, a good adaptation of a scene, instead of trying to just recreate it. Coulter is in Geneva for a bit, then Will and Lyra enter the world of the dead, learn about deaths, and leave Pan behind on the shore (not QUITE as powerful a scene as it was in the books...a little rushed, I thought). Back in Geneva, they're prepared to detonate the bomb, and then back to the world of the dead again to get past No Name and meet Roger and John Parry again. The bomb is set off in Geneva after Asriel's forces rescue Coulter, but John Parry warns Lyra in time and she is safe. We cut to Asriel's fortress, where Serafina tells him that Lyra will be Eve, and that she will tempt her and Will. Lyra and Will lead the escape from the world of the dead, but there is no fall into the abyss. They come out into the battle, find Iorek and learn that Asriel's fortress has been destroyed but that the Clouded Mountain was forced to retreat. They free the Authority from the crystal litter, find Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter, and then part ways. For some reason, Asriel and Coulter decide to fling themselves into the abyss just for the heck of it... sorta took the strength out of their death in the books, to destroy Metatron. It wasn't really justified enough in this case. Serafina gives Will and Lyra a basket of berries, and leaves them alone for awhile and then comes back the next day to show Will Kirjava, and tell them that they must part. They cut back into Oxford and the botanical gardens, and their separation is, once again, heartbreaking. Perhaps even more so now, since they had less time together to prepare for it. Finally, we're back in the present day, and Lyra and Will in their separate worlds say:
"WILL: I wanted to go through after you.
LYRA: I wanted to stay.
WILL: But then I remembered what my dad said. There's no elsewhere....
LYRA: You must be where you are....
WILL: ...and where you are is the place that matters most of all...
LYRA: 'Cause it's the only place where you can make...
WILL: ....where you can build....
LYRA: ....where you can share...
BOTH: ....The Republic of Heaven."