Last week, I went to the Malthouse Theatre in South Melbourne with my friend, O. The new production of Woyzeck was playing, with a score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. I have recently been re-introduced to the music of Warren Ellis again in his band, the Dirty Three, in particular the album, Horse Stories. The soundtrack to the play – a nineteenth century piece by Buchner, loosely based upon the true story of a man whose lover is seduced by a drum-major – is a perfect accompaniment to the passionate tale of murder and fornication, featuring Warren Ellis’ seething trademark violin composition.
The nature of mankind is put on trial in the figure of Woyzeck.
Morality and virtue are all very well for the wealthy but I am a simple man and cannot afford to be virtuous. I merely act according to my nature. Woyzeck in conversation with the (fat) Captain
For money, Woyzeck not only shaves the head of a captain of the army (who offers Woyzeck some moral and fatherly advice) amongst other menial tasks – Woyzeck is a soldierly parasite upon the armed services fighting a war one never sees but often hears – but is the subject of experiments for the army doctor (played up in a wonderfully camped up role, crowned with Mickey mouse ears). He is fed exclusively on peas, hung upside down by his feet and a stainless steel apparatus is attached to his genitals for urine samples.
Oooh I am going to give you a raise, Woyzeck. Well, another kind of raise. Army Doctor with Mickey Mouse ears
Woyzeck begins to grow weak and hallucinates. The walls begin speaking to him, especially after he is unceremoniously informed by the army captain and doctor about his lover’s infidelity with the drum-major. Marie, the mother of his child, takes part in an extravaganza – Hell on Earth – conducted by Tim Rogers performing a devilish role – a sexy, amoral Pan-like character – and a mandolin. (Tim Rogers’ opening act has a chorus: everybody dies… except for me.) In the course of this orgy of music and wine (a hilarious scene, the participants wearing Santa hats, jaunting about the stage to a thundering bass beat about silver streamers), the drum-major takes Marie.
Haunted by images of his lover in sexual embrace with the drum-major and the murderous voices of revenge from the walls, Woyzeck is in his own living hell. Tim Rogers comes along and finds him in such a state, and sells him a knife with which Woyzeck may cut his own throat. Woyzeck confronts Marie. She would rather he put a knife in her guts rather than judge and accuse her, punish her for living. The lovers embrace upon a couch at the rear of the stage behind an open crack in the wall and the deed is done; the background light turns blue for tomorrow.
What are you looking at? Do you see a murderer? Woyzeck screaming at the audience
As a footnote, I might add Tom Waits’ album, Blood Money, is also a musical rendition of Woyzeck. The track “Children’s Story,” is from Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards.
Dionysian theatre. The thick and chthonic subject of contemporary musicians’ art, Woyzeck still stands tall amongst the tragic working-class heroes, fallen though he has amongst the rusty institutions of modernity.
…..and he still lies there to this day.
