Stockholm: style

Overview on Stockholm’s Style

Stockholm has a unique writing style. Bryony Lavery uses a fusion of prose and poetry. The dialogue switches between being highly poetic and stylised to grounded and naturalistic.
It is a physical piece of theatre, incorporating dance and abstracted movement to portray the characters’ internal emotions.
Lighting and music are employed to great effect, creating a sensory experience for the audience. The inclusion of a Seductive Walrus, representing the embodiment of dark passion, adds to the play’s surreal quality.

Lavery combines both monologues and dialogue in Stockholm. The monologues give an insight into the emotional state of the characters, whilst the dialogue establishes their relationship’s dynamics.
The language used by the characters is intensely symbolic, with the names Kali and Todd alluding to the Hindu goddess of destruction and the Biblical figure of death, respectively.
Lavery cleverly uses dialogue to both hide and reveal the truth. Significant truths are sometimes obscured in casual conversation, forcing the audience to read between the lines and understand the deeper layers of meaning.

The physical aspects of Stockholm are coordinated with the textual narrative, contributing towards the layering of meaning.
Physical theatre is used to display the power dynamics between Kali and Todd, effecting how the audience perceives their relationship.
The dance sequences are also a demonstration of the couple’s co-dependency and the violence that permeates their relationship.

Stockholm’s unique style evokes a range of emotional responses in the audience. The intimacy of the dialogue and the intensity of the physical theatre can make it an uncomfortable viewing experience.
The play’s style demands the audience’s engagement, as it presents complex characters and situations. The raw emotion and power dynamics are most effectively portrayed through its expressive use of language and physical theatre.
The style invites the audience to contemplate the nature of relationships, abuse, and the controversial concept of Stockholm syndrome. The surreal elements provoke reflection on how reality may be distorted in emotionally abusive relationships.