Holy Fool
Rosalind Adler and Lea Sellers
Directed by Kate Fahy
Park 200
Star rating: 4
This taut, gripping, refreshingly grown-up, new four-hander tells the story of Dimitry Shostakovich’s life-long struggles with Soviet Russia. At the same time it explores the freedom of art and its determination to overcome, perhaps subtly, the propogandist requirements of a totalitarian government. Moreover, it foregrounds the close, but often tetchy, relationship with his beloved wife, Nina, whom he married twice although the play doesn’t allude to that.
It’s 1936. Mitya, the everyday name for the composer, (Benjamin O’Mahony) has just been acclaimed for his new opera, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Aged 31 with a pregnant wife, he’s already successful and established. Then the authorities decide that the music falls short of “socialist realism” and a campaign – effective use of gossipy, bitchy, destructive voice-overs throughout the play – is launched to discredit him and his music. His fourth symphony (not performed until 1961) has to be hidden. He is banned twice and lives in fear of arrest during the Stalinist purges and later. Too much of his music is deemed pessimistic and therefore unpatriotic. On the other hand some is jolly and uplifting stuff written in major keys. For whom, or what purpose, is he writing? His fortunes rise and fall and there is always tension and fear. Eventually he joins the Communist Party, probably for pragmatic reasons and there has been speculation ever since about his real commitment and beliefs. The play is a deft, detailed, very compelling take on a troubled life.
O’Mahony looks suitably like Shostakovich with spectacles and baggy period suits (costumes and set by William Fricker). It’s a huge role and he nails the creativity, anxiety and friction. As the play proceeds he ages the character with body movement convincingly without a fuss and O’Mahony is an adept piano mimer. It’s a moving and impressive performance.
As Nina (doubling eventually as a feisty nurse with a regional accent) Jenna Augen is presented with a feminist twist. She is a physicist desperately trying to pursue her own work amidst the dangers she has to endure by association with Mitya. She does deep affection tempered with exasperation beautifully.
Two other excellent actors play a range of other characters. Phoebe Price is terrific as the chilly inspector standing over the composer making him sign declarations and, among other roles, as Katya the plumber’s daughter who goes to America. There are, incidentally, some nice plumbing/water asides in this play which feel wryly topical. Plus ca change.
Fergus O’Donnell demonstrates delightful versality as an over enthusiastic opera fan, a dour, nosy, dangerous, toeing-the-party-line plumber, Mitya’s friend and a relaxed Kansas everyman – among other minor characters. The multi-roling is slick and comfortably credible.
A word of praise too for Julian Starr’s sound design. Obviously there’s a lot of music and I liked the atmospheric tuning up and applause effects. His depiction of the terrifying siege of Leningrad is almost too real – he had me wanting to duck beneath my Row A seat. And he provides effective menacing undertones when the drama is at its most tense.
It’s a fine, intelligent show which deserves to transfer. Meanwhile, catch it at Park Theatre if you can.
