Stockholm Resource Pack - Frantic Assembly

A love story
Samuel James and Georgina Lamb
Photo Scott Graham
When people in abusive relationships are asked why they
stay the clichéd answer is often 'Because I love him/her'.
We thought that this was a loaded question. If the answer
is so easily dismissed as a cliché then maybe the person
asking the question is not actually interested in the answer.
Maybe the question is the disguise for the suggestion 'You
are an idiot for staying.'
We felt that this was unfair. What if the answer was not
merely a cliché In the light of Stockholm Syndrome it felt
that we must try to take this answer at face value. If the
abused believe they mean it then who are we to suggest
they don't
To truly take on this subject matter and to get within such
a relationship we had to, in the words of Lyndsey Turner
(a young theatre director who was working with us during
one of the development stages) get a wider definition
of love.
Because of this, we are desperate for Stockholm to be a
love story. It is not told from an objective position after the
break up of an abusive or destructive relationship. It is told
from the subjective heart of an existing relationship. It is
their love story.
Just as we need our audience to identify with these people,
we also need them to believe there is love in the lives of
our protagonists. This is not a cry for help. The point is that
the survival instincts and the love they feel is stopping any
notion of a cry for help. Their instinct is to make their bond
stronger. They are compelled to get closer rather than
further away.
We realised that this production had to go to some really
dark places but early on we discussed how that was
probably Bryony's job (bar the fight). Steven and I set
ourselves the task of creating a very loving physical world.
We felt that this might help achieve a balance and not tip
the show over the edge into the psychotic.
Their actions appear to be a cyclical pattern of destruction
but this is only because of their very human feelings of, and
seduction to, remorse. This allows forgiveness and
compassion for weakness, all of which, in any other context
would appear to be positive values but here merely allow
the pain to continue. It may sound absurd and it certainly
is difficult but we have taken this as a sign that at the very
heart of the play these two people really do love each other.
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