Dream Story

Synopsis

A re-imagining of Arthur Schnitzler's Dream Story; the novella that inspired Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. Through a simple sexual admission, a husband and wife are driven apart into rival worlds of erotic revenge. Their mutual confessions signal a surrendering to their most illicit fantasies, feeding an extraordinary and dangerous sexual awakening.

Our Review:

16 June 2011

As soon as the young doctor and his wife start to recount fantasies that they have kept hidden we know that they – and we – are in for a bumpy ride. The edges of nightmare, obsession, jealousy and sexual cruelty are all explored in a dreamscape that takes both husband and wife on an inner journey that, once begun, will never quite end. Their attempts to unravel their inner selves will doom them to remain together in imperfect harmony.

This 1925 story by Arthur Schnitzler seems to continue where La Ronde left off. Our perversities and innermost desires come round full circle to haunt us, and self-knowledge gives us little joy. It was adapted for the big screen in Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut and is here adapted and directed by Anna Ledwich.

Her production is compelling - beautifully lit by Matt Haskins, brilliantly designed by Helen Goddard and with a subtle, insinuating sound design by Adrienne Quartly – and ought to ...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

MC - 20 June 2011:

A beautifully constructed adaptation. Delicate and dark. Very tense throughout. Luke Neal strikes a brilliantly imposing figure as the Doctor, dragging us deeper into this nightmare as his world comes apart. Not for the faint hearted. For me, the play was let down by the tediously hysterical squeeking from Leah Muller's diminutive Albertine. But all round a great production, gorgeous set design and very much worth a watch. ...

Read more and add your own review