Northern Broadsides’ Crime and Punishment Review
Connor Curren as Raskolnikov and Trudy Akobeng as Sonya in Crime and Punishment. Photo by Andrew Billington
“Truly great men must, I think, experience great sorrow on the earth.”
Northern Broadsides Production of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment is a brutal look into one man’s collapse.
Crime and Punishment follows a struggling former student, Rodion Raskolnikov, living in the harsh streets of Saint Petersburg. Isolated and desperate, he becomes obsessed with a dangerous idea: that certain extraordinary people may have the right to break moral laws for a greater good. As he tests his beliefs, he finds himself drawn into a tense psychological struggle with his own conscience, the people around him, and a sharp-witted investigator who begins to suspect the truth. The play explores guilt, morality, and the search for redemption in one of literature’s most intense psychological dramas.
What hits me first is how dark the room is, pulling us straight into the dank, cold and bitter world of St Petersburg, where we meet Rodion, poor and penniless. We find him planning his crime, down to the specific steps needed. Meticulous and calculated. He appears to have no remorse or even thought for those affected; he is pure selfish will.
Light is used in a dynamic and flowing manner, with most stage lights operated by the minimal cast. It looks sleek and provides a unique staging that is effective in this context. As the set is rearranged to reveal different scenes, it reflects a collaborative approach. A nice touch is the small houses on stage that light up, indicating our location; it’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it detail, but it works well with the aesthetic.
The sound of folk instruments added to the atmosphere created, pulling us deeper into the cesspit of Petersburg.
Trudy Akobeng and Niall Costigan expertly played 11 characters. Each one is unique and distinct, which is an achievement with a character list that long. Some were so convincing that I had to reread the programme to confirm there were only 3 cast members. A personal highlight was Porfiry Petrovich, the Chief Investigator, managing to be both self-effacing and sinister simultaneously.
Connor Curren, however, steals the show with a performance of a lifetime. A protagonist that not many will agree with, however some might. What I found most interesting was the link between Russia in the 1800s and the modern day manosphere of alpha male ideology. Groups of men who believe themselves to be superior and have the ability to do what they like, how they like, as they are somehow better. This is hinted at masterfully without ever drifting towards a cringeworthy wink.
What’s noticeably different is the ending, which leaves out a key part of the novel. However, I think this works to its advantage. The focus shifts more toward the crime itself, along with the psychological and physiological consequences of committing such heinous acts of violence.
Crime and Punishment is a tense, gripping crime thriller, ready to pull you into Rodion Raskolnikov’s world, whether you like it or not.
Touring until April 2026
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
