Mention of the Gormenghast series tends to produce either passionate praise or dim recognition. Mervyn Peake's gleefully grim dark fantasy novels have a devoted fanbase, but are otherwise largely unrecognised.The Oxford Theatre Guild hopes to change that next week, with their pacy stage version treading the Old Fire Station boards from Tuesday 22nd October. We caught up with director Jordan Bische to find out more about this ambitious show.
Hi Jordan, many thanks for taking the time to talk to us. What, in a nutshell, is Gormenghast?
JB: Hi! In short, the Gormenghast books are a dark gothic fantasy series by Mervyn Peake, adapted here for the stage by John Constable. Set in the decaying, isolated Gormenghast Castle, ruled over by the Groan family, the plot is populated with grotesques, bound by ancient customs and rituals. We enter the story as the ruthless rise of kitchen boy Steerpike and the birth of a son, Titus Groan, threaten to change everything.
The world of Gormenghast is bizarre, darkly comic, and in places, highly gruesome. Was it hard to convince the Oxford Theatre Guild to put on such a unique work?
JB: It was an interesting conversation. I initially pitched it to just one member of the guild, who was not especially familiar with the books, so I found myself explaining both the 700-plus page series and the adaptation at the same time.
I knew the Guild’s Old Fire Station slot is typically their chance to do something a bit more experimental and presenting something completely new was exciting to me - so I think my enthusiasm won them over! I’ve been a huge fan of the novels ever since I first read them, and it was important to me to protect their very singular feel.
DI: What element of the production are you most excited for people to see?
JB: The characters! I’m so curious to hear the takeaways people have about them.
There’s this double level to the characters where on one hand, they are instantly recognisable archetypes - the dutiful butler, the drunken boor, the naive ingénue, and so on - and on the other, they’re so strange and distinctly themselves. The cast have done a magnificent job in capturing both the broad strokes and fine print of their personalities.
What is also interesting to me about Gormenghast is that everyone in their own way is an outsider. The castle itself is the only truly autonomous figure. So naturally, every character must scheme to get their needs met. Which is, of course, great fun to watch.
DI: Who is this ‘perfect for fans of’? Besides the source material, obviously, if you had to compare the vibes of your show to another piece of media, what would it be?
JB: In interviews Saltburn has understandably been quick to come up - both are stylish, gothic stories about a conniving intruder wreaking havoc on an eccentric family. But I would have to say the Game of Thrones series, for its sprawling, uncompromising universe. We are asking the audience to throw themselves in completely, and we are rewarding them with a visceral, vibrant, fully-realised world.
DI: After Gormenghast, what's next for the Oxford Theatre Guild?
JB: Something a little more uplifting! George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, at the Oxford Playhouse, from the 1st - 5th April 2025. Auditions are currently open, so local thespians (and those aspiring to be!) should definitely apply. You can find out more about auditions here.
DI: Finally, please describe Gormenghast in three words.
JB: Mad, Uncompromising, Owls (you'll see why!).
Gormenghast is on at the Old Fire Station. Tue 22nd Oct - Sun 27th Oct, 7.30pm Tue-Sat, with matinees 2.30pm Sat and Sun. Tickets £14.