A devastating love story
The Remains of the Day is brought to the stage this week with an adaptation by Alpha Square
What can a man do when he realises his life has been wasted as he was never with and can never have the woman he truly desires? He is torn up inside, he is filled with feelings of loss and regret, but he also realises that he must ‘make the most of what remains of the day’.
This month, Alpha Square Productions brings to life Kazuo Ishiguro’s fascinating Booker Prize winning novel. The Remains of the Day, written in 1989, was Ishiguro’s first novel not based in Japan or told from the point of view of a Japanese person.
Now adapted for the stage, directed, and produced by Andreas Araouzos, the play will open on Thursday at the main stage of Theatro Ena in Nicosia and will run for twelve performances until March 29. The show will then tour Paphos and Limassol in April.
Paul Stewart and Alexia Paraskeva lead the cast, while sets and costumes are by acclaimed designer Stephanos Athienitis. Araouzos himself undertook the adaptation of the novel for the stage, an amazing and daunting experience.
In The Remains of the Day, we observe the life of the perfect butler, Stevens, during his glorious days at Darlington Hall. Having spent 36 years in service, Stevens considers his past and is forced to come to terms with the gravity of the sacrifices he has made in the name of duty. With a background of British culture in the 1920s and 1930s, as well as the politics of Europe between the two World Wars, we witness the journey of this ‘perfect butler’ through his ongoing devotion to Lord Darlington’s success and well-being, and his extraordinary relationship of professionalism, tension and tenderness with the now ex-housekeeper, Miss Kenton.
It all begins when Stevens receives a letter from Miss Kenton where she hints at her unhappiness in her marriage. As he sets out on a trip to find her, he ponders his previous actions and underlying feelings of love for Miss Kenton, which were never realised or even fully stated. When Stevens meets her again, he is left with an intense feeling of emptiness, realising his love for the woman he can never have, but he is assured that not all is lost as ‘the evening is the best part of the day’.
“I find it a devastating love story and hope the audience will get an intense feel of the affection between these two people,” says Araouzos. “A lot of people may get upset by how this relationship progresses, and it’s sad because Stevens never gives it a chance, so we’re left with the beauty of what could be. But the audience must give him some credit for the decisions he makes, as his inability to be more carefree and spontaneous is not something necessarily wrong. Let’s not forget that for Stevens it’s all about strong principles and duty to his master and the people he holds dear to him, he simply does not deviate.”
But the whole story is more than just about love, it’s also about the way Ishiguro presents two ways of being English that are largely at odds with each other. Stevens embodies older codes of decorum, being gracious, practical and undemonstrative, while this clashes with his new employer, Mr Farraday, who jokes and cajoles and is open with his democratic views. In this sense, the plot also centres on the decline of the British aristocracy; even the fictional Darlington Hall is now under the control of an American.
“There is a theme running throughout focusing on devotion to duty and admiration. Stevens is the very epitome of a man that believes in what is proper and right. But ironically, the glorious Lord Darlington who he had served so dearly is certainly not flawless, and Stevens’ inability to communicate his true feelings in matters of the heart result in tragically ruining the one thing that is real.”
As you leave this performance savouring The Remains of the Day, you’ll no doubt feel inspired by a story of love, but as with everything in life, also left with thoughts of what could have been. “What one should think about is that you always have to weigh up sacrifices and decisions in life with what you’ve ultimately gained or lost,” says Araouzos. “Whether the audience sees Stevens’ sacrifice as inherently tragic or not, is up to them to decide.”
The Remains of the Day
A play by Andreas Araouzos adapted from the Booker Prize winning novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. In English.
Nicosia: March 15-29. Daily performances except Tuesdays. Theatro Ena, main stage. 8.30pm. Tel: 22-348203
Paphos: April 12. Markideon Theatre. 8.30pm. Tel: 26-934850 (tickets from Moufflon Bookshop)
Limassol: April 13 and 14. Theatro Ena. 8.30pm. Tel: 96-458399
General Information: 7000 1140/ www.alphasquare.org
£10. £7 for students, soldiers and senior citizens
