The Enduring Appeal of Trainspotting
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| Trainspotting Live plays at The Lowry, Salford from Tuesday 6th June to Saturday 10th June. |
"Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a f***ing big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers..."
The scathing "Choose Life" monologue, delivered in the opening scene of 1996's Trainspotting (in which a young Ewan McGregor hurtles down Edinburgh's Princes Street, pursued by security guards) is seen and heard everywhere. T-shirts, mugs, bedspreads and posters on the wall of just about every student flat in Scotland bear the obscenity-filled passage with its distinctive orange and white design. Almost 25 years since the release of Irvine Welsh's novel, and two decades since Danny Boyle's original film, the imagery of Trainspotting is well and truly ingrained in British popular culture.
Now, as the successful and controversial new stage adaption arrives at The Lowry, Salford, Quaytickets finds out just what it is that contributes to the enduring appeal of Trainspotting.
#1 - The Writing
Irvine Welsh's debut novel certainly caused a storm in 1993. The Sunday Times described him as "the best thing that has happened to British writing in decades." Those unfamiliar with the accent and slang of 1980s Edinburgh are guaranteed a hard time at first - Welsh writes exactly as his characters would speak, with scant regard for speech marks and other conventional punctuation. Nor does he hold back on the profanities. The result is an unflinchingly honest and close-to-the-bone masterpiece, told across seven sections from the perspective of a multitude of characters.
#2 - The Setting
Edinburgh. Auld Reekie. The Athens of the North. The Scottish capital evokes romantic images of dormant volcanoes, medieval castles and Georgian grandeur. In the Edinburgh of Trainspotting, however, there are few scenes worthy of a picture postcard. Whilst the famous sights of the city are included in the book and film, the majority of the action takes place in the port of Leith. Not formally part of Edinburgh until 1920 (and even then against the will of the vast majority of its residents), Leith has traditionally been one of the most deprived areas of the city. It's stagnating industry, drug scene and failed social housing projects such as the infamous "Banana Flats" form part of an Edinburgh underbelly which is wonderfully exploited as the gritty, emotive setting of Trainspotting.
#3 - The Characters
Trainspotting offers the perfect rogues' gallery of unforgettable characters. Mark Renton is a classic antihero - capable of fitting into "normal" society, but unable to shake the drug addiction that gives meaning to his life. Danny "Spud" Murphy is the naive and lovably hopeless whipping boy of Renton's friendship group. He is a representation of social ills, using heroin because society offers him nothing else. Whilst Renton and Spud have like-able qualities (Renton with his efforts to improve himself; Spud in his kindheartedness and love for animals), the same cannot be said for Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson. A cold, womanising con artist with an obsession for Sean Connery, Sick Boy scams his way through Trainspotting, his charming facade hiding a shallow and callous personality. Finally, who could forget Francis "Franco" Begbie? This violent psychopath, played brilliantly in the films by Robert Carlyle, terrorises his peers with frequent acts of brutality, such as infamously tossing a pint glass onto a crowded dance floor, purely for the excitement of the ensuing violence .
#4 - The Films
Ranking 10th in the BFI's list of the top 100 British films of all time and voted Scotland's best-ever picture, Danny Boyle's 1996 big screen version of Trainspotting is one of the most acclaimed films in cinema history. Armed with a cut-down version of Welsh's storyline and a superb cast, Boyle used a number of breakthrough techniques to produce a masterpiece. The infamous "Worst Toilet in Scotland" scene is a fine example of Boyle's initiative. A shot of an overdosed Renton falling through the floor and into a coffin was achieved through the simple use of a trapdoor, but was considered positively groundbreaking. Released at the height of Britpop and "Cool Britannia," Trainspotting became culturally significant straight away, putting British film making back on the map. The publicity poster included an eye-catching list of numbered characters (shamelessly reproduced by this blog) along with a bold declaration: "Hollywood come in...your time is up."
In 2016, twenty years on from the original, a much-hyped sequel T2: Trainspotting arrived in cinemas. The unashamedly nostalgic T2 was loosely based on Welsh's follow-up novel, Porno, and featured the original (slightly more haggard) cast along with various homages and subtle nods to the music and imagery of the 1996 release. Not only were old fans reminded of Trainspotting's brilliance, a whole new generation was afforded the chance to discover it.
#5 - The Music
A crucial element of Trainspotting's continued success is its music. The two soundtrack albums are almost as iconic as the film itself. Boyle's choice of music complemented the on-screen action perfectly and, notably, the soundtrack almost entirely featured pre-recorded music from established artists, rather than a specially-composed score. Seventies pop music by the likes of Iggy Pop and Lou Reed blends perfectly with contemporary sounds from the nineties Britpop scene, including Blur, Pulp and Sleeper. Boyle also included techno and electronica tracks as a means of championing the alternative music scene at the time. Vanity Fair magazine named the Trainspotting soundtrack as the seventh best in cinema history.
#6 - The Stage
Trainspotting was adapted for stage shortly after the novel was released, with Ewen Bremner (who would later play the role of Spud in the film) starring as Renton. Harry Gibson’s adaptation was instantly successful and controversial and won the Sunday Times Award for Best New Play.
The 21st anniversary production from In Your Face Theatre, which plays at The Lowry, Salford from Tuesday 6th to Friday 10th June, retains the same power and humour, promising an immersive, no-holds-barred experience for Trainspotting fans old and new.
Through book, film, soundtrack and stage, Trainspotting's legacy shines as strongly as ever. Choose Life.
Now, as the successful and controversial new stage adaption arrives at The Lowry, Salford, Quaytickets finds out just what it is that contributes to the enduring appeal of Trainspotting.
 |
| Novel front cover (source: Wikipedia) |
Irvine Welsh's debut novel certainly caused a storm in 1993. The Sunday Times described him as "the best thing that has happened to British writing in decades." Those unfamiliar with the accent and slang of 1980s Edinburgh are guaranteed a hard time at first - Welsh writes exactly as his characters would speak, with scant regard for speech marks and other conventional punctuation. Nor does he hold back on the profanities. The result is an unflinchingly honest and close-to-the-bone masterpiece, told across seven sections from the perspective of a multitude of characters.
#2 - The Setting
Edinburgh. Auld Reekie. The Athens of the North. The Scottish capital evokes romantic images of dormant volcanoes, medieval castles and Georgian grandeur. In the Edinburgh of Trainspotting, however, there are few scenes worthy of a picture postcard. Whilst the famous sights of the city are included in the book and film, the majority of the action takes place in the port of Leith. Not formally part of Edinburgh until 1920 (and even then against the will of the vast majority of its residents), Leith has traditionally been one of the most deprived areas of the city. It's stagnating industry, drug scene and failed social housing projects such as the infamous "Banana Flats" form part of an Edinburgh underbelly which is wonderfully exploited as the gritty, emotive setting of Trainspotting.
 |
| 'Banana Flats,' Leith (source: Wikipedia) |
#3 - The Characters
Trainspotting offers the perfect rogues' gallery of unforgettable characters. Mark Renton is a classic antihero - capable of fitting into "normal" society, but unable to shake the drug addiction that gives meaning to his life. Danny "Spud" Murphy is the naive and lovably hopeless whipping boy of Renton's friendship group. He is a representation of social ills, using heroin because society offers him nothing else. Whilst Renton and Spud have like-able qualities (Renton with his efforts to improve himself; Spud in his kindheartedness and love for animals), the same cannot be said for Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson. A cold, womanising con artist with an obsession for Sean Connery, Sick Boy scams his way through Trainspotting, his charming facade hiding a shallow and callous personality. Finally, who could forget Francis "Franco" Begbie? This violent psychopath, played brilliantly in the films by Robert Carlyle, terrorises his peers with frequent acts of brutality, such as infamously tossing a pint glass onto a crowded dance floor, purely for the excitement of the ensuing violence .
 |
| 1996 promotional poster (source: Wikipedia) |
#4 - The Films
Ranking 10th in the BFI's list of the top 100 British films of all time and voted Scotland's best-ever picture, Danny Boyle's 1996 big screen version of Trainspotting is one of the most acclaimed films in cinema history. Armed with a cut-down version of Welsh's storyline and a superb cast, Boyle used a number of breakthrough techniques to produce a masterpiece. The infamous "Worst Toilet in Scotland" scene is a fine example of Boyle's initiative. A shot of an overdosed Renton falling through the floor and into a coffin was achieved through the simple use of a trapdoor, but was considered positively groundbreaking. Released at the height of Britpop and "Cool Britannia," Trainspotting became culturally significant straight away, putting British film making back on the map. The publicity poster included an eye-catching list of numbered characters (shamelessly reproduced by this blog) along with a bold declaration: "Hollywood come in...your time is up."
 |
| Ewan McGregor and Ewen Bremner in T2: Trainspotting (source: The Guardian) |
#5 - The Music
A crucial element of Trainspotting's continued success is its music. The two soundtrack albums are almost as iconic as the film itself. Boyle's choice of music complemented the on-screen action perfectly and, notably, the soundtrack almost entirely featured pre-recorded music from established artists, rather than a specially-composed score. Seventies pop music by the likes of Iggy Pop and Lou Reed blends perfectly with contemporary sounds from the nineties Britpop scene, including Blur, Pulp and Sleeper. Boyle also included techno and electronica tracks as a means of championing the alternative music scene at the time. Vanity Fair magazine named the Trainspotting soundtrack as the seventh best in cinema history.
#6 - The Stage
 |
| Trainspotting Live (source: trainspottinglive.com) |
The 21st anniversary production from In Your Face Theatre, which plays at The Lowry, Salford from Tuesday 6th to Friday 10th June, retains the same power and humour, promising an immersive, no-holds-barred experience for Trainspotting fans old and new.
Through book, film, soundtrack and stage, Trainspotting's legacy shines as strongly as ever. Choose Life.
‘Fresh, funny, grim and glorious’ **** Londonist
‘A big fat hit. Just don’t sit near the toilet!’ NME
‘I’m not sure ‘in your face’ covers it. In your everything, really.’ The Times
‘I was shocked and I wrote the f***ing thing!’ Irvine Welsh
I loved both the movies and the books. This post gets it absolutely spot on, I'm going to have to come and see it on the stage now!
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