then:Poppy Drayton and Shannara

“Fantasy writing must be grounded in both truth and life experience if it is to work. It can be as inventive and creative as the writer can make it, a whirlwind of images and plot twists, but it cannot be built on a foundation of air. The world must be identifiable with our own, must offer us a frame of reference we can recognize.

“Fantasy stories work because the writer has interwoven bits and pieces of reality with imagination to form a personal vision.”

― Terry Brooks

Drayton as Amberle - with a bit of Photoshop play to the original.

Shannara, written by Brooks, is a set of ten high fantasy novels that have been adapted into an MTV series, starring Poppy Drayton.  The show straddles the line of keeping the spirit of a post-apocalyptic earth -  now embued with magic and a species evolution of humans, elves, trolls, gnomes and dwarves - while spinning a bit of pop through-out (read: sexy).  There is an overtly obvious connection to tap into the Game of Thrones anthologies on television lately, so Shannara is an epic that can span several series.  Specifically, the MTV series is based on The Elfstones of Shannara, which is actually book two in the series, but serves as a reasonable point to follow young characters on a quest to save the world from demons.

Armed with Brooks' quote above, and watching the series on Netflix, you get a sense of the didactic world of Brooks.  There is very sharp lines between good and evil, innocence and cynicism.  Wil Ohmsford is the last of his kind and holds precious magic that can usurp evil, and he must do so in the service of the young queen Amberle, who, in turn, can maintain the 'tree of life'.

And Amberle (Drayton), who's break-out role was on the Downton Abbey, playing Madelein Allsopp, brings an over-vulnerability to Amberle, who has the world upon her shoulders and enemies seemingly on all sides.

Drayton as Juliet.

Drayton's first major part was in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet, playing the titular role.  This (as she intimates in this interview) was the role she most desired to play.  Having a classical background as well as a great camera presence, makes Shannara a series to binge, especially if you are a fan of high fantasy and a bit of the post-apocalyptic.

As Juliet was her role, I thought of the difficult aspects to play in light of Juliet's last speech:

"How if, when I am laid into the tomb,
I wake before the time that Romeo
Come to redeem me? there's a fearful point!
Shall I not, then, be stifled in the vault, [2585]
To whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in,
And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes?
Or, if I live, is it not very like,
The horrible conceit of death and night,
Together with the terror of the place,— [2590]
As in a vault, an ancient receptacle, "

And someone on youtube (of course) has put together this scene study:

And then I return to Shakespeare.
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