Anna Karenina

Synopsis

Tolstoy's story of infidelity and betrayal. Russia 1877. Anna Karenina, a married woman, falls passionately in love with the devastatingly handsome Count Vronsky. She deserts her husband and child to live with her lover. But as society shuns her, fear and suspicion of Vronsky's love and fidelity grow.

Our Review:

Michael Coveney - 22 March 2011

The arrival of a student production of Anna Karenina at the Arcola reawakens the concerns about the strength of artistic director Mehmet Ergen’s programming that surfaced towards the end of his tenure along Kingsland High Road in the old carpet factory.

For while Max Webster’s production for the Piano Removal Company – newly formed from recent graduates of the Birmingham School of Acting – has a callow, headlong enthusiasm about it, the means of expression are a litany of “physical theatre” tropes that would make the sternest, most serious of experimentalists blush with embarrassment.

Helen Edmundson’s skimpy adaptation – first made for Shared Experience nearly twenty years ago – is no great help. It pits Anna (Elizabeth Twells) and Levin (Tristan Pate) against each other in a sort of competitive narrative with dotted highlights.

To this, Webster – who has credits with Lecoq, Odin Tea...

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Latest User Review

Linda - 18 April 2011:

I'm afraid I side ewith the critic here. I was surprised that this young company tried to replicate Shared Expereince's work, especially when Shared Experience do it so much better. And even their work is starting to look tired as we have seen it all before. I also thought the performances were strained and awkward. If physical theatre is to be attempted it needs to be superb, performed by actors who specialise in this kind of theatre not drama graduates who are already battling to give assured performances. And not somewhere like the Arcola where we expect quality acting. Sorry. There were moments of exquisite beauty and the cast were certainly committed but it is not enough in todays competitive world....

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