NOT Martin Guerre

The Pitfalls of a Rewrite

Something I've been meaning to say for a while. To quote a speech from Hey Mr Producer, great musicals "are not written: they are rewritten." The show in question was Martin Guerre and, no, I disagree. Great shows should sometimes be left as they are, with minor adjustments.

They should not be torn apart and reassembled, to leave a show that's nothing like the original. I say this, because I had the misfortune to perform one of the revamped versions of Martin Guerre for National Operatics' Summer School, and I think the original release was still the best.

In 2005, there was yet another version of the show coming out, and not only had lyrics and themes been changed, but even the plot had been altered. Among the various overhauls the musical has had over the years, Guillaume (the villain) and a gang were put in at the end, which just seemed an anti-climax to the original three hander between the leading characters. Then the most crucial change: the iconic, (and very important) number, Live With Somebody You Love was changed to a duet between Martin and his wife Bertrande. But in the original version, it was depicted on the battlefield as a duet between Martin and best friend Arnaud, who will steal his name. The signifigance of the song was lost in a way, we agreed.

Don't get me wrong. Martin Guerre is a brilliant musical, and the revised version still made for a powerful workshop, that tested us all to the limit. But my issue is with rewrites. The Land of the Fathers, for example, was one of the best choral pieces my choir has performed, and it really does justice to the story, as an understated final number. But it was not included in revised versions of the show, which is a real shame.
If it ain't broke, as the saying goes, don't fix it. Yes, the original Martin Guerre was a flop, but this was because of 2 basic flaws.

Number one: it was too serious. As my Summer School instructor pointed out, all other Boublil-Schonberg and Mackintosh' musical collaborations till then had worked, because the musical always had some humour or entertainment in it, to lighten the intense drama. In Les Miserables, the character of Thenardier, and raucous numbers like Master of the House provided great comic relief: allbeit with serious undertones to the events. Likewise, in Miss Saigon, the character of the Engineer, provided the audience with some great one liners, and funny culture clashes, that lighten the mood of what is otherwise a very serious story. But Martin Guerre, as I remember, did not have enough comedy to lighten the drama, and I'm not the first one to say this.

There was a wonderful comedy number, that was called Sleeping on Our Own, I think, in which the village's women folk vent their sexual frustration, in a hilarious, deadpan style, that puts a smile on audience members' faces. This too, keeps being taken out and put back in various versions of the show.

The second reason for the Martin Guerre's flop (no pun intended) was, I think, a much simpler one.
It was the end of an era. By the mid 1990's, we'd had our share of large scale musicals, and perhaps Martin Guerre was one too many. While I agree strongly, that musical theatre should focus on serious drama, as part of its DNA, I still concede, that audiences need to be entertained. They need comedy, and a few lighthearted moments, to lift the drama, and relieve the onlooker. Remember Jesus Christ Superstar? Herod's Song lightened the mood perfectly. And who could forget [Gee] Officer Krupke, a tongue in cheek send up, right in the middle of West Side Story's darkest moments. There's a lesson to be learned here.

So, although Martin Guerre's time as a hit musical has passed, I still think that it can be saved as a performance piece by two very simple changes:

• Take the show back to its original 1990's form. Lyrics, plot, characters, dialogue, the works.
• The ONLY rewriting needed is to add comedy. All comic numbers and characters tried in the various rewrites should be kept. The music and the drama are perfectly moving as they were: they just need comedy to add spice, and give the audience an all round musical experience.

That's the kind of rewrite I'd recommend.

James Mcgarry

aka The Secretary