First published in 1999 by Oberon Books Ltd
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Reprinted in 2012, 2015
From a film by Albert Lamorisse 1956
Stage adaptation and lyrics by Anthony Clark
Stage adaptation copyright © Anthony Clark 1999
Antony Clark is hereby identified as the author of this adaptation in accordance with section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The author has asserted his moral rights.
Original copyright © the estate of Albert Lamorisse 1956
Albert Lamorisse is hereby identified as the author of the underlying work in accordance with section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The author’s estate has asserted its moral rights.
All rights whatsoever in the underlying work and in this adaptation are strictly reserved and application for performance etc. should be made before rehearsal to Rosica Colin Ltd, 1 Clareville Grove Mews, London SW7 5AH, on behalf of the Albert Lamorisse Estate, and to Anthony Clark c/o Independent Talent Group Ltd, Oxford House, 76 Oxford Street, London W1D 1BS. No performance may be given unless a licence has been obtained, and no alterations may be made in the title or the text of the play without the author’s prior written consent.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or binding or by any means (print, electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
PB ISBN: 978-1-84002-079-3
E ISBN: 978-1-783-19274-8
Cover illustration by Danusia Schejbal
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eBook conversion by Replika Press Pvt. Ltd, India.
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Contents
THE RED BALLOON
‘This adaptation, derived from both the film and slim
tie-in book, captures the spirit, look and feel of the original and movingly expresses them in stage terms’
The Guardian
‘If there is a more charming and magical children’s musical I haven’t seen it… Clark’s clever and sensitive adaptation is backed by a haunting and tuneful score by Mark Vibrans that ranges from taxing choral pieces to touching solos.’ Manchester Evening News
‘Messing with masterpieces is a risky business…Yet for all the turkeys there are a handful of triumphs. My Fair Lady is one; The Red Balloon another. Whether it’s the embodiment of an imaginary friend, a symbol of innocence, experience or even death, the balloon’s significance is never explained which is the reason for its overwhelming resonance.’ The Financial Times
‘Mark Vibrans’ score, with echoes of Satie, introduces strong themes which then return to cumulative effect, and provides at least a couple of tunes which you can remember well enough to whistle says afterwards. My general rule with kids’ shows is to watch the audience to see how rapt the tinies are being kept. This time I forgot, too intent on the stage myself. Kids’ theatre too often looks as though it’s constructed from a theatre’s leftover budget, actors and ideas; this one has clearly been put together with dedication and effort. The best show I’ve seen anywhere in the past six months.’
City Life
‘The way that children torment each other and parents harangue their offspring is acutely observed in this memorable and beautiful adaptation…Nothing about this falls short of excellence.’
Time Out
The Red Balloon at the Royal National Theatre, 1996
For Anna, Gabriel, Eleanor and Crispin
Introduction
In, 1953 Albert Emanuel Lamorisse, director, scenarist, cinematographer and producer began work on his fourth short film Le Ballon Rouge. A perfectionist, it is reported that he wrote forty-two versions of the script before he was satisfied with it. The film tells the story of Pascal, a lonely child who is bored at home, and ignored by his classmates, until he makes friends with a large red balloon. The film has no words, and stars Albert’s five-year-old son. The film was shot in Eastman colour, but printed on Technicolor stock, which gives it its Utrillo-like-ethereal aura. It was released in 1956, and was an immediate success with audiences and critics. Jean Cocteau called it, ‘a fairy tale without fairies’, and a British reviewer wrote that ‘it lends stature to the cinema as a whole.’ It won many prizes including Medialle d’Or du Grand Prix du Cinema Français, and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It has become a classic.
In 1957 Albert Lamorisse published the story in written form accompanied by the stills from the film.
In 1989 I adapted the story from book and film for the stage, with a brief to stick closely to the spirit of the original. I chose a musical form because the story is simple and resonant, emotionally. Mark Vibrans, with whom I have collaborated on numerous occasions, wrote the score. The text and score have been developed over four productions: first at Contact Theatre (1989), then at the Bristol Old Vic (1990), Birmingham Repertory Theatre (1995) and finally at the Royal National Theatre (1996). I would like to thank the casts, the designers Kendra Ullyart and Ruari Murchison, and the three choreographers, Lorelei Lynne, David Massingham and Malcolm Shields, for their contribution to this adaptation.
The Balloon: I don’t know how they did the balloon in the film, and there may be more ingenious ways of realising it than mine. This is how I did it: I got a large, strong, red, round, helium-filled balloon; attached a lightweight stiff cord (dressing-gown cord) to its nozzle, sellotaped one end of a couple of metres (the armspan of the operator/puppeteer) of invisible thread (fishing line) 20cm from the nozzle, passed the other end of the line through a hole at the end of a thin, strong wooden rod, just under a metre in length, and tied it to the end of another rod of similar length. The operator/puppeteer held the rod in his/her hands. By placing the rod with the hole wherever the operator/puppeteer wanted the balloon to go, and pulling or releasing the tension on the line with the other rod, it was possible to control the balloon’s movements and give the illusion of independent flight.
At one point