Maurice
By E.M Forster, Adapted by Roger Parsley and Andy Graham
February 2020, Corpus Playroom, 1 week
Revealed posthumously with the note ‘publishable, but worth it?’, Maurice is a gay love story by E.M Forster that encapsulates the struggle of being a closeted gay man in Edwardian England and the joy of reclaiming a happy ending. Despite having heterosexual norms insistently impressed upon him from a young age, when Maurice enrols at Cambridge University and meets Clive Durham, a fellow ‘unspeakable of the Oscar Wilde sort’, he finds that he cannot choose to continue repressing what he feels, and must wrestle with the consequences.
This adaption breathes new life into Forster’s novel, telling a queer period story about acceptance, love and identity, while also seeking to bring the story back home to Cambridge, a place of special significance to him.
An intimate staging of E. M. Forster’s novel in a unique L-Shaped theatre. This process included pitching, casting, rehearsals and intimacy direction. To celebrate LGBT+ History Month, the production also included a talkback discussion ‘Forster in 2020’. Elliot went on to finish one of his undergraduate dissertations on homoeroticism in E. M. Forster’s Maurice and his unpublished short stories, inspired by his time while directing Maurice.
“Directed by Elliot Aitken, the team at the Corpus Playroom revisit the story in the form of a sensitive and touching period drama, bringing to life the journey of a young, middle class man searching for an identity in Edwardian England. […] The plot felt new, real and tangible whilst retaining clear elements of the past – a difficult yet well-executed balance.” The Tab
“Under Elliot Aitken’s direction, his body language was the perfect balance of awkward and earnest, making his struggle heartbreakingly tangible. Maurice felt young, sincere, and strangely hopeful. This added to the final scene’s sense of triumph and optimism – an ending important to Forster.
Elliot Aitken has succeeded in delivering a lively adaptation of Maurice. It was sweet and heart-breaking to watch, masterfully navigating the themes of sexuality and growth while remaining witty and sincere. Maurice is timeless in its message, and this adaptation conveyed this with humour and gravity.” Varsity
Creative:
Director – Elliot Aitken
Producer – Lucy Tiller
Assistant Director – Ben Dalitz, Charlie Bentley-Astor
Sound Designer – Kit Treadwell
Publicity Designer – Charli Foreman
Costume Designer – Ella Muir
Lighting Designer, Set Designer,
Technical Director – George Jones
Stage Manager – Srinidhi Balakrishnan
Lighting Designer – George Jones
Cast:
Maurice Hall – Matthew Paul
Clive Durham – Jesper Eriksson
Alec Scudder – Sam Drysdale
Mr. Lasker Jones – Will Batty
Dr. Barry – Ali Sabir
Ada Hall – Cora Alexander
Anne Woods – Imani Thompson
Mrs. Hall – Anastasia Joyce
Mr. Ducie – Helena Fox
Risley – Stanley Lawson
