THE DEVILS. To 8 October.
London
THE DEVILS
by Elizabeth Egloff based on the novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Union Theatre 204 Union Street Southwark To 7 May 2005
revived 20 September-8 October 2005
Tue-Sat 7.30pm
Runs 2hr 45min One interval
TICKETS: 020 7261 9876
www.uniontheatre.com
Review: Timothy Ramsden 3 May
Adaptation works best when fast-paced and relentless.Dostoyevsky's novel of a band of small town political agitators in 19th century Russia is a dark affair, and American playwright Elizabeth Egloff's adaptation into fidgety, brief scenes receives a suitable dark production from Anne Khazam. Charlie Cridlan's set provokes unease, with its awkward mix of space and different height platforms.
Kirilov (Johnny Harris darting and abrasive in the character's utter nihilism, where only the freedom of self-destruction exists) seems to reach his room through a kind of cat-flap, while arch-agitator Peter Verkhovensky is forever lurking or bursting in on people to command the scene, persuade and bully. Verkhovensky is contrasted with two others, his father Stepan, an old style armchair-radical and the emptily charismatic aristocrat Nicholas Stavrogin, whose interior is explored too late but with fascination.
Dostoyevsky showed revolutionaries as self-aggrandising or manipulated pawns who turn in on themselves. Their plot started with talk over cards and led to death and repression (governor Lembke is overplayed as a simpleton here, but his self-assured wife and secret police henchman are comic and fearsome symbols of repressive power, well-played by Jennie Lathan and, especially Edward Sparkes respectively).
The arc of Khazam's production moves through turmoil in edgy scenes which at times would benefit from players not relaxing into some of the dialogue so much. Then, finally, it comes to rest in the adaptation's single main misjudgement. It ends with 3 lengthy speeches exploring psychologies that ought to have been made plain earlier, losing the power of the preceding scenes that have brought the action to a stark conclusion.
This production also makes clear the contrast between the scheming men and the more positive outlook of all but the more society-tainted women. Shatov's wife giving painful birth with her doomed husband, the calm of Isabel Scott Plummer's Dasha and the damaged innocence of 12-yrear old Matryosha from Stavrogin's past are poignantly presented.
Individual performances vary in refinement; Richard Matthews has the toughest job as the secretive younger Verkhovensky. In such a fast-moving piece (so unlike the Maly Theatre's 9-hour version) Mathews manages at least to make clear the character's negative, psychological volatility.
Nicholas Stavrogin: Perri Snowdon
Peter Verkhovensky: Richartd Matthews
Ivan Shatov: Ian Groombridge
Shigalyov: Paul Brennan
Virginsky: Peter McNeil O'Connor
Stepan Verkhovensky: Gregory Cox
Liputin: Nevil Michaels
Mrs Stavrogin: Julie Bevan
Dasha Shatov: Isabel Scott Plummer
Maria Shatov: Alison Baker
Kirilov: Johnny Harris
Governor Lembke: Stephen Haynes
Mrs Lembke: Jennie Lathan
Josef Blum: Edward Sparkes
Matryosha: Tara Quinn
Director: Anne Khazam
Designer: Charlie Cridlan
Lighting: Steve Miller
Sound: Eugene Murphy
2005-05-04 01:31:08