SteampunkSteampunk is a term that was first used in 1980s, but the ideas that power steampunk literature, fashion, and art have been around for a long time. Jules Verne ("20,000 Leagues Under the Sea") and HG Wells ("War of the Worlds") were 19th century authors who were really the first writers to seriously explore the themes of technology and its relationship to culture and the environment. Since then, steampunk has evolved as a fashion, and as a genre of literature and other forms of entertainment. Combining rich, elegant, antique fashion with bits and pieces of machinery, clockwork, and interesting objects of outdated technology, steampunk fashion allows a lot of individual freedom and creativity.
While a lot of steampunk literature (and film) focuses on airships and fanciful machines, the "steam" part often gets ignored. In the Victorian period (which is the most common setting for steampunk stories), steam-powered technology was being developed at an incredible pace, with little or no regard for the workers in the factories or the impact on the environment. Large areas of the UK were mined, stripped, deforested, and overbuilt. Tens of thousands of workers were injured in factories.
"Avalon's" themes and ideas
Books and plays and musicals aren't about "ideas," but about people and characters. It's pretty boring to watch a play that's just trying to teach a lesson. However, thanks to the characters and the story's setting, there are some themes woven through the musical.
The Negative Impact of Progress...
Lord Richardson's factories have transformed Avalon from a old-fashioned little village to a center of industry. He has brought money, culture, and technology to Avalon. The downside: the workers are sick and exhausted, the air is polluted, and the natural landscape has been ruined. Lady Richardson is using her son's marriage to Iona as a way of acquiring greater power and even more land.
Technology vs. Magic...
This is a very common theme in fantasy literature, but in Avalon there are really three ideas in opposition. Colonel Knight (who may or may not be the ancient wizard Merlyn) thinks that magic is a force that can be used, manipulated, and conquered (a very male-energy way of looking at the world). Iona comes from a family that believes that all of nature is "enchanted" and sacred and thinks that "magic" is just working and living in harmony with the world. Titus is a rational person who doesn't believe in any of it. All he understands are the laws of physics. It's interesting to note that in ancient Celtic cultures, there were two types of energy: one came from "above" and was represented by the sun, and was very masculine. The other came from the Earth and was represented by the moon and was feminine.
Tristan and Isolde...
The ancient tale of Tristan and Isolde--which is about the power of love, sacrifice, and destiny--drives the basic story of Avalon, though it has been considerably re-worked. But here's a little spoiler: unlike the lovers in Tristan and Isolde, no one in Avalon dies. Things work out in the end.
