I wonder if the tile of this play – Anna Karenina Komedy – strikes anyone as an oxymoron? Adapting Tolstoy’s famous tragedy is an ambitious task – and one that Tallinnted Productions (and writer and director James Hunter) undertook admirably. This task was made no less ambitious by its adaptation into a comedy, marking a decided shift from the tone and genre of the original novel. If this sounds intriguing, it should. The question going into this play, however, was whether these sparks of inspiration would burn bright or flame out of control (run off the rails, for a more play-relevant metaphor).
This unsteady balance was where much of the comedy of the show rested. Interruptions shouted from offstage destabilized the drama itself in a way that proved sure to generate laughs from the audience. James Hunter, whose performance as a young boy was never going to rest on realism, nevertheless managed to capture the tragedy of his mother’s departure before u-turning into comedy once again. Anna Karenina’s (Martha Gathercole’s) reveal of a letter which read ‘AS IF LOL’ at a point of significant emotional tension within the play was, in my opinion, one of the comedic highlights. Vronsky’s (Elliot Woode’s) audience interaction as he painted Anna’s portrait was another such destabilizing moment that caused uproar. To summarise, in this clash of comedy and tragedy, the comedy did not suffer. It thrived. By undercutting moments of emotional contrast, the humour shined brighter.
A mention here must go to the superb performances of the cast. While I could sing the praises of each of the cast members, it was, for me, Cameron Maiklem and Sophie George who stole the show. Maiklem was tasked with playing two(+) characters – each very different. With Stiva, Maiklem managed to deliver a performance that, while maybe just slightly unlikable, was nevertheless a joy to watch onstage. I would be disappointed with Stiva’s lack of inclusion in the post-interval show, but I was equally gratified with Maiklem’s second role as Levin. Even with the wig he donned, he delivered a sincere performance that must have left audience members seeing Levin as the show’s hidden heartthrob. Sophie George as the Countess’s attempts to seduce Alexei (James Fife) were perhaps my moments of the show, however. Her commitment to the character, crawling sexily(?) across the floor, resulted in a performance that was a joy to watch.
The immense success of the comedy, taking advantage of the unbalance created by the genre-clash, tipped the scales slightly too far, however. Martha Gathercole, as Anna Karenina, had to carry the brunt of this on her shoulders, both the emotional core of the play and acting as a comedic heavy weight. No matter how talented of an actress she is (and she is extremely talented) this had to be difficult. Though the play’s emotional climaxes were exceptionably performed, they lacked the foundation in the rest of the play that they needed to truly hit home. When every other poignant moment, Anna’s labour for example, was still interjected with comedy, a shift in the final scene to pure tragedy didn’t quite feel earned. This should not detract from the play’s achievements across both genres; however, leaving the Pilch, I was left wondering how much the show succeeded in melding them.
I highly look forward to what Tallinnted Productions do next. Anna Karenina Komedy was both ambitious and enjoyable in all aspects (a final congratulations must go to Ariana Pethard for her original score) and thoroughly worth the watch.