Pi Newspaper | March 2012 encore@pimedia.org.uk


Dark, morbid and charming: Tim Burton at his finest


BOOK


The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories Tim Burton


A STRANGE name for a collection


of poetry? Perhaps not, when you realise that the author of the book is Tim Burton – yes, the creator of the likes of Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare before Christmas, and arguably the slayer of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, depending on how much of your childhood was built on the 1971 Mel Stuart version. Nonetheless, calling him one of the most eccentric directors currently working in Hollywood is not that drastic in the way of sweeping statements. Burton is renowned for toying with


our sensibilities, and creating the world of the outcast. This collection of 23 verse poems does not fail to deliver in this respect. These poems are very Burton. A startling combination of familiarity and strangeness, Burton employs simplistic language reminiscent of children’s nursery rhymes and juxtaposes them with painfully shocking imagery. The characters created by Burton


are based around everyday objects, and could easily be placed in to a Dali painting. We surreally see a matchstick, an anchor and a melon, amongst others, bought to life. The objects retain their recognizable qualities but are personified, in most cases to their


misfortune. The passion between “match girl” and “stick boy” quite literally becomes enflamed and “robot boy” is mistaken for a bin. In reference to what I said earlier,


these poems could be mistaken as intended for children. They are short, simple and easily understandable. It is perhaps the themes explored by Burton that makes these poems too dark and heavy in subtext to be appropriate for


exploration of loneliness we are made to feel self-aware. The curse placed on Voodoo Girl is one she cannot escape. Having the power of hypnosis, she is able to place the “zombie men” under a trance with her “hypno-disk eyes.” But the power of seduction, which Voodoo Girl holds, backfires when the pins in her heart are only driven deeper in to her when someone gets too close. Burton’s exploration of human insecurity in in these dislocated inanimate objects, especially in his macabre style, makes one laugh before considering the underlying subtext. Accompanying these charmingly


The passion between “match girl” and


“stick boy” literally becomes enflamed


children. The pervading theme is that of loneliness, of isolation, of being different. It is this theme that places these poems in the realm of adulthood. Depending on how perceptively


you react to poetry, Burton’s work can address you on different levels. In his


sinister poems are scratchy fine line drawings, some in monochrome and others in colour. These drawing in themselves are fascinating insights into Burton as a person. Through them he brings to life his vision for these poems. Jointly the poems and the drawings create the fantastical, perhaps slightly demented world that Burton’s imagination resides in. Without these dainty comical sketches, the poems would be unfathomable. Our poor indolent brains would suffer in creating characters such as Oyster Boy and The Girl Who Turned into a Bed. If you like the weird and the


wonderful or simply want to read something that takes about 20 minutes at most to get through, I would highly recommend The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories. Burton irrevocably succeeds in creating characters, each of which appeals to the lonely outsider in all of us.


Zaineb Hakim


pimedia.org.uk | 33 encore


Pure creativity DANCE


Resolution! The Place


RESOLUTION! at The Place.


Intrigued upon hearing such a collocation, strangely consonant to revolutionary spirit, I decided to explore the nature of this two-month long festival of young choreographers on the stage of The Place – the Mecca of contemporary dance in London. The structure of the festival is


simple. Almost every day, the stage of the Robin Howard Theatre hosts three works by emerging choreographers that have never before been performed. A brief note on the promotional leaflet stating that performed choreographic pieces may contain explicit language, screams or any other disturbing content, due to the purely contemporary and independent nature of the artists’ works, already suggested the alluring scent of freedom and creativity that was to imbue the event. With a history of 23 years,


Resolution! was the starting point for many choreographers whose talent and status are today undisputable. Wayne McGregor, Mark Baldwin, Javier de Frutos and many others have presented their works as young choreographers to later become icons of contemporary dance. An invaluable opportunity for professional dancers at the outset of a choreographic career, this project is also a chance for young writers who are passionate about dance: most performances are brilliantly reviewed


in the online journal of the festival. Having attended three nights,


and thus having seen nine absolutely different, mesmerisingly diverse and conceptually courageous performances, it took me a considerable amount of will power to refrain from buying another ten tickets and actually return to reality. The flow of ideas and movement turned out to be unexpectedly overwhelming. Among these pieces, however,


I was particularly struck by the piece called A Downpour by Jindeok Park, who was performing with Martha Pasakopouou and actress Grainne Kennan. With three people moving and acting independently of each other, the piece seemed strangely eclectic in the beginning. Employing no music, the dancers were performing to the jumbled text, enacted by Grainne. Merging the quick, rhythmical flow of disparate words and alienated movement of the dancers, the piece was a stimulus for a desperate search for pattern, both in dance and speech. Once one adjusted to the experimental nature of the piece, however, the words became part of a coherent story, almost resembling a confession from the actress. The viewer found oneself confronted with a new perspective to view the crooked lines of thought which exist in one’s head every day. An opportunity for young


choreographers, entertainment for the dancers and source of immense food for thought for anyone interested in the contemporary dance, Resolution! is undoubtedly a feast of creativity and inspiration. I look forward to the 2013 display of new talent at The Place.


Maria Borshchevska Win a free copy of Oscar Wilde’s Major Works


Oxford University Press has teamed up with Pi to offer you the chance to win one of five cop- ies of The Major Works of Oscar Wilde.


Oscar Wilde needs no introduction: his great literary achievements have firmly positioned him as one of the best British writers in history. He is deservedly famous for his plays, novels and dramatic private life as well as his epigrams. We leave you with a favourite:


“The difference between literature and journalism is that journalism is unreadable and literature is not read.”


What was Wilde’s nickname for his lover?


A) Dougie B) Bosie C) Dorian


To win your free copy, simply email newspaper@pimedia.org.uk with your answer.


The first five correct answers will be awarded a free copy of the book, courtesy of Oxford University Press.


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