From Shakespeare to Sondheim, stage to screen adaptations are ten a penny and nearly always successful.

The formula is simple: Take the razzle dazzle of Broadway, inject a few million dollars together with an all-star cast and bob’s your uncle: a smash hit at the box office.

But screen to stage? How does that work? As I took my seat and waited for the Playhouse curtains to rise, I wasn’t convinced it would.

Based on the 1994 film by the Coen brothers, the Hudsucker Proxy is a light-hearted, watered down version of Wolf of Wall Street; a black comedy centred on the theme of corporate greed.

When the director of Hudsucker Industries takes a suicidal leap and falls 44 floors out of a window to his death (‘45 if you count the mezzanine!’), the company is left in the greedy hands of Sidney Mussburger, a cigar brandishing executive who plots to take over.

But before he can buy a majority share he needs to devalue the stock, and what better way to guarantee disaster than by employing a complete and utter schmuck?

Enter Norville Barnes, a wide-eyed business graduate who knows nothing about business – or so we think.

In a dramatic and amusing turn of events, Barnes pushes through his invention, the hula hoop, which turns out to be a roaring success, seeing share prices rocket.

A great storyline? Sure. Convincing acting? Definitely. But it’s neither narrative nor character which makes this brilliant production stand out; it’s all about the physical.

Devised in conjunction with renowned physical theatre company Complicite, the Hudsucker Proxy is a beautifully choreographed piece which puts movement at its core.

From shuffling papers and throwing boxes to jumping – quite literally! – through hoops, the director’s attention to detail and high energy of the ensemble ensures not a motion is wasted.

But it’s not all clowning around; sophisticated use of staging, sound design and lighting marry together to form stunning vignettes, and the cinematic effect that is created as a result pays homage to the original.

This visual element is complemented by a clever set which sees a filing cabinet morph into a bar without a blackout in sight.

So to answer my question: Yes, screen to stage adaptations can work.

Expertly directed by Simon Dormandy and Toby Sedgwick, this production of the Hudsucker Proxy takes all the wonder and fantasy of the big screen and translates it on to the stage with impressive results.

Pic: Clare Park

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