Name: Performers
Price: 174.00 ZAR
Availability: InStock
Author: Irvine Welsh
ISBN: 9781838462413

Type

Physical Book

Author

Irvine Welsh

Publisher

Zani

Year

2021

Language

English

Pages

150

Format

Paperback

ISBN13

9781838462413

Performers

Irvine Welsh (Author) · Zani · Paperback

New Book Imported to South Africa

Delivery: 18 Aug - 25 Aug

R 174

R 174

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Synopsis "Performers "

They Don’t Think They’re Gonna Let You Stay in the Film Business Performers deals with masculinity at the point when the sexual revolution was saturating culture. For many working-class men, it was confusing and threatening. As secularism started to replace traditional Judaeo-Christian attitudes, a lot of men found themselves torn between embracing the liberation and clinging to the simpler, more morally binary past. In the swinging and hallucinogenic London of 1968, visionary Scottish filmmaker Donald Cammell joined forces with cinematographer Nicolas Roeg to make “Performance”. The film would star James Fox, Mick Jagger and Anita Pallenberg, but the casting process was frustrating for Cammell because he insisted on bringing “real villains” into the roles that supported the lead character of South London gangster Chas Devlin. David Litvinoff, a chameleon like character who bridged the worlds of rock and roll and organized crime, was employed as dialogue coach because of his connections and he set about introducing “real villains” to Donald Cammell. What started out as an acting vehicle for Mick Jagger soon took detours as Cammell began experimenting with the script. He developed the theme of dualism and became inspired by the writings of Borges and the paintings of Francis Bacon. Violence, psychedelic drugs, sex and a homo-erotic subtext became enmeshed in a story about the fracturing of the male psyche. David Litvinoff persuaded many London criminals to audition for roles in the film. Performers is the story of two of them. On release, “Performance” was disowned by Warner Brothers, refused distribution, banned in certain countries and attacked by the mainstream media over its gratuitous sex, violence and illicit drug consumption. “Performance” did however go on to become a critical success and remains a cult classic. The filming took its toll on those involved though, most notably James Fox, who suffered a nervous breakdown and retired from acting for a period of time. Many believe that this was a result of Fox’s method acting and his submergence in the London criminal underworld in preparation for the role, which Cammell enthusiastically encouraged. Today the film is cited as a huge influence on director Martin Scorsese and many other filmmakers and has gained a place in pop culture as the “coolest” and most accurate portrayal of swinging London ever documented. “Performers” is a dark, subtle comedy with a cast of 4. A play of one scene, that narrates the story of two unwitting gangsters who find themselves auditioning for a part in the film. Homoerotic in parts, somewhat misogynistic, packed full of cultural reference points from the swinging sixties, the play presents an altogether inspiring twist on a classic casting couch situation.

Irvine Welsh

(Author)

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Irvine Welsh es un novelista, guionista y escritor escocés nacido en Leith, Edimburgo, en 1958. Considerado una de las voces más influyentes de la literatura británica contemporánea, alcanzó notoriedad internacional con Trainspotting (1993), una obra que retrata con crudeza y humor negro la vida de jóvenes de la clase trabajadora en Escocia. Su experiencia en los ambientes urbanos de Edimburgo y Londres, así como su interés por los márgenes de la sociedad, han marcado profundamente su narrativa. Welsh es conocido por el uso del dialecto escocés y por construir historias pobladas por personajes complejos, a menudo enfrentados a la adicción, la exclusión social y la búsqueda de identidad.

Entre sus obras verificadas destacan Trainspotting, The Acid House, Marabou Stork Nightmares, Filth, Glue, Porno y Skagboys. Esta última novela, publicada en 2012, funciona como precuela de Trainspotting y explora los orígenes de personajes emblemáticos como Mark Renton y Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson antes de su caída en la drogadicción. A lo largo de su carrera, Welsh también ha trabajado en cine, teatro y televisión, consolidando un universo literario interconectado que ha influido en generaciones de lectores y escritores.

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