Remember the global phenomenon, Fatal Attraction? The exciting new stage production comes to Grand Opera House, York on the 3rd of May.
Written by James Dearden, the production boasts a star-studded cast including Susie Amy(Footballers’ Wives), Oliver Farnworth (Coronation Street) and Louise Redknapp (Strictly Come Dancing).
The 1987 global hit captivated and terrified filmgoers, garnered multiple Oscar nominations raked in more than $320 million against a $14 million budget.
More than three decades later, the chilling tale of an extra-marital affair gone horribly wrong is comes to the stage, with director Loveday Ingram promising: “Audiences will go away having had an invigorating, stimulating evening that shocks and surprises as well as making them question choices they have made in the past or could make in the future. It’s gripping and thrilling, and it’s a real emotional rollercoaster.”
The play remains true to the core story of New York lawyer Dan Gallagher whose fling with book editor Alex Forrest starts out casual but soon escalates into a reign of terror when she refuses to accept it’s over.
But there are surprises in store for fans of the film: “It isn’t exactly the same as the film,” the director teases, “and the outcome resolves in a different way.”
Ingram (who has worked extensively in the West End) believes that Alex’s behaviour will be viewed differently now than it was in the 80s. “Our attitudes towards mental health have changed so much since 1987, as they have towards emotional support. It’s inevitable that people will look at the character of Alex in a different light.”
“The play, like the film, asks questions, challenges, surprises and shocks, and if we get it right, every person in the audience will be going ‘Oh my God, that could happen to me if I made the wrong choice at the wrong time’.”
“James’s adaptation is stunning,” the director enthuses. “It’s slick and engaging. The dialogue is electrifying and bites to the core of the story. He’s taken the heart of the film, stripped it back and put it on stage to great effect.”
Set in the present day, the stage version features contemporary technology like mobile phones and video calls: “One of the things that drew me to it is that it’s about consent and people stepping into the danger zone,” Loveday says. “It’s about responsibility and trust and crossing the line. To bring that to life in a way that works for contemporary audiences, we’ve shifted it more towards the technology that we all use to communicate every day. Stalking and social media intrusion are all part of that.”
Do we still get the infamous bunny boiling scene? She laughs: “Now that would be giving it away, wouldn’t it?”
Having played Dan’s wife Beth for eight weeks while Kym Marsh starred as Alex, Susie Amy has now stepped into the latter role and is relishing the challenge. “I’m really enjoying exploring another character, and it’s a huge role in terms of the emotional arc she goes through,” says Susie, who became a household name as Chardonnay on Footballers’ Wives.
“Alex is a rollercoaster of passion, anger, hurt and feeling letdown. At first we see her as this vivacious, appealing woman who is very attractive to men because she listens, laughs and appears to be very confident and independent. Then we see all that unravel throughout the play.”
Susie agrees Alex’s behaviour would be viewed very differently now. “Of course there are elements of Alex’s behaviour that I personally find hard to justify, but when you watch the play, I think you can hugely sympathise with her in terms of how Dan treats her, like ‘We’ve had a one-night stand, now you need to go away and keep your mouth shut’. Actions have consequences, and while back in the day she was labelled as a psycho or a crazy person, nowadays we know a lot more about mental health.”
Dan’s wife Beth is played by Louise Redknapp, who came to fame in the girl group Eternal in the early 90s and has since had a hugely successful solo career as well as branching out into theatre and presenting.
“When they first asked me about playing Beth, I wasn’t sure because I’d never done a straight play before, just musicals,” admits Louise, who played Sally Bowles in Cabaret on tour and was in 9 To 5 The Musical in the West End and around the country. “But then I went to see it and it was really well put-together, really gripping and I thought it would be a new challenge for me.
“It’s completely different to anything I’ve done before and I feel really lucky that at this stage in my life I’m still getting offered new jobs and opportunities. It’d be very easy to sit back and do what I’ve always done rather than trying to push myself but I know how important it is to keep growing and to keep learning.”
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