The Memphis Lullaby

This time not a book review, but the review of a play script by Linda Ann McConnell. She was kind so kind to send us a review copy.

Design

The book has a very simple design; white with a picture of Elvis in black and white on the front. Elvis looks straight at you from that cover, like he wants to tell you something.

Content

Well, our man actually has something to tell in this book. The book is actually a play script. The play is set a few days before Elvis death, August 10, 1977. Elvis decided it is time to put down his memoirs.

Set in several stages, rooms in Graceland, Elvis tells the story of his life. The way the story is told you can almost see Elvis sitting on his sofa or bed and reminiscing about the good and bad times, listening to some of his records and celebrating some of the achievements of career. The final act is told by a voice over with visual and audio cues celebrating Elvis’ immense achievements. Although fitting, the story, or better the play, it can do without. The story could just end with “a week later Elvis Passed away”.

Linda Ann McConnell dug into the archives to tell the story the way it is. A lot of well known facts pass by. Reading the play we get some mixed feelings. All the achievements of our man are presented in a chronological way, fitting for the story (a man sitting down, talking about the good times), but it kind of becomes a long list. Then I did this, then I did that, then … and so on. Elvis has been very busy, and he doesn’t even tell everything. For fans like us, that can be a bit boring to read. We guess it will be different when it is presented as it is meant to be, on a stage.

The way the set is described and the instructions for the actor are part of the text we can really picture it in front of us.

Conclusion

Our conclusion is simple, it would be fun to see this play on an actual stage. The play deserves that, and the story would come across much better when it is told to the reader.

For more information, visit the Memphis Lullaby website.