Anna Karenina at Chichester Festival Theatre Review
Written by Amelia for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
A story of destruction, love and devastation, Anna Karenina is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. This version by Phillip Breen, placed in the stunning Chichester Festival Theatre, promised to be ‘witty and sensual’ and it’s not too difficult given the danger and seduction of the original story. This ambitious new take on the play takes the story in many different directions, but sometimes loses itself in the process.
Natalie Dormer portrays Anna with conviction and purpose, wrestling with the ideals of love and loss throughout the piece. She begins with light and charm when introduced, helping to mend her brother’s relationship and provide support to his wife. This highlights the journey that she goes on in the story, as we end with her truly devastated and lost to the point, she feels she must take drastic measures. Dormer depicts Anna in every emotional state possible and shows the impact of falling from grace when she is condemned and shamed in public.
Personally, I think her relationship with her son could’ve been developed more so that we really understand the pain when she is separated from him, but I simply could not ask to add on any more to the run time. The breaking of the fourth wall started well envisioned, but became a little disjointed as the piece went on and didn’t necessarily fit in the way I think it was intended. The moments of humour in the show were received well and provided a good distraction from the all-consuming, heavy plot.
Overall, I feel it was perhaps too broad of a take on this interesting story, as we lose the drive of our protagonist at times. A lot of time is spent with those around her, which overshadows the main arc and takes away from the grit of the story. Sometimes I felt myself wanting more of the secondary storylines as they were becoming more interesting than that of our heroine. This also lends to the long run time of the play, which could definitely be cut by at least an hour if we did not have as much focus on the other characters.
This is not to take anything away from the performances, as each member of the cast shone in their material. Particular highlights came from Jonnie Broadbent as Stiva, Shalisha James-Davis as Kitty, and Naomi Sheldon as Dolly. Sheldon especially was a consistent beacon throughout and showed raw emotion and reactions to the story unfolding.
The set was utilised well, and the recurring use of trains only emphasised what we could expect from the ending. Trains are a motif throughout the play, with several major plot points taking place either on passenger trains or at stations in Saint Petersburg or elsewhere in Russia. I wasn’t 100% set on the word ‘death’ appearing during the scenes where we lose Nikolai, as it felt out of place, with no other words appearing during the rest of the story. Considering the nature of some of the themes, it was odd for that to be the only word we see.
The play runs at Chichester Festival Theatre until Saturday 28th of June.
★★★
