Hermione and the Moon
Diabolique presents Hermione and the Moon, a play by Michael Mitchell, based on the short story of the same name, by Clive Barker.
Foreword, by Michael Mitchell:
The ugly truth to adapting other people’s stories is that, sometimes, they end up being more work than simply writing a new tale up from scratch. But sometimes, when they’re put together so perfectly—and so adroitly—like this one from Clive Barker, the adaptation almost writes itself.
And this story was so well written, already replete with perfect dramatic scenes (or arcs), it practically cried out to be put on a stage.
One particular point of pride with adapting Clive is that he started out as a playwright (he was hailed as a “master of the craft” when he was in his early twenties), so it’s really rewarding to be able to steer his work back to the theatre whenever possible.
It’s also just a hauntingly beautiful story that highlights the power of supposedly lowly genre fiction. After all, where else could we explore the nature of parenthood the way this story does? You couldn’t look at it like this, nor make it so profound, in an entirely natural setting.
And like all great work, the layers reveal themselves more and more the closer we look at it. It’s a gem of a yarn that I hope never gets lost—and I hope that by adapting it I’ve done my little bit to keep Clive’s tale alive.
- Read Hermione and the Moon (PDF)
Image: Alexandru-Florin Revnic
May 11, 2013 at 4:27 am 
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