If you like your theatre robust, raucous and rollicking then the National Theatre’s adaptation of Nikolai Erdman’s classic comedy is a must see. And on the evidence of the audience’s reaction on Press Night, the party atmosphere was infectious.Written in the mid 1920’s, and resulting in his imprisonment, Erdman’s satire about a man pursuing his own death has lost none of its bite, notwithstanding the lack of Communist bigwigs breathing down any producer’s neck these days. But does it stand being updated to a London housing estate of 2016 in Sunayla El-Bushra’s adaptation?
El-Bushra and director Nadia Fall were keen to deliver a ‘culturally diverse’ production and in that respect they have certainly succeeded. At the Lyttleton it is grand in style and vision, with a sometimes dizzying mix of animation, film, dance, music, rap poetry, and a set that feels like a mammoth Rubik’s cube, coming at you from all directions, sometimes a little indulgently.
What is perhaps lost in this impressive translation is the pathos. Amid the noise, swinging doors, banging drums, and abrasive characterisations, the tragedy of Sam Desai’s suicidal plans, more prevalent today than ever before, is somehow diminished, despite the best efforts of Javone Prince’s effective and notable performance as the desperado, fighting every modern day demon imaginable.
There is fine work from Rebecca Scroggs as his partner Maya (a part greatly increased for this production and rightly so, she's as much a victim as Sam), Ashley Maguire brings enormous commitment and detail to the Mother-In-Law Sarah, and Paul Kaye fleshes out the two-dimensional documentary director, Patrick. Many of the smaller roles stand out in the maelstrom, like Nathan Clarke who is nicely anchored as Demetri, and Michael Karim’s Gil.
It is though, effectively, a star vehicle, and Javone Prince as our hero has a lot more to be upbeat about than the character he plays.
The relatively new Artistic Director of the National Theatre, Rufus Norris, hasn't won many fans so far with his rather grim programming of the UK's centre of theatrical excellence. There's been very little glamour and frivolity. Even a musical of ALICE IN WONDERLAND turned out to be little appreciated but there has been some fantastic drama and this latest production is a shining example of the kind of intelligent, hard hitting theatre that couldn't exist in the commercial market and which, I for one, am delighted to see at the NT.