Two shows now remaining at the Scotland Russia Forum
Friday 10 August 7.30pm and Saturday 11 August 2pm
Scotland-Russia Institute, 9 South College Street, Edinburgh EH8 9AA
Here's The List Magazine's **** review:
David Johnstone celebrates Gogol’s masterpiece in his single actor adaptation Adapting a novel for the stage is always a challenge; especially so when, like Gogol’s Dead Souls, the focus lies in the psychology of characters rather than the action. In this case there is a big risk of making the adaptation either shallow or boring. However, David Johnstone from LAZZI art unit was brave enough to take the risk. The result is his one-man show in which he skilfully combines scenes from the novel with the writer’s diaries, resulting in a heartfelt and passionate monologue about Russia and its future.
The actor, Robert Williamson, shows wonderful powers of transformation, turning from Chichikov into Korobochka and from Korobochka - into Gogol himself in an instant. He manages to maintain high energy and a connection with the public throughout the hour-long show, thus keeping them constantly alert, wondering: which character will appear on stage next? Who will he speak to now? Will he scream? Laugh? Stand up and run out of the venue? (and yes he did...)
The intimate settings of Scotland-Russia Institute allow Williamson to physically interact with the audience, drawing them into Gogol’s world and transforming them into peasants, coachmen or landlords at the ball. These interactions make the performance truly unique every time, as Williamson has to react to the responses he gets. This is, partly, what makes the show feel so spontaneous and alive.
A member of the audience wrote on the LAZZI website later: ‘The passion, intelligence, quicksilver humour and Keaton-esque physicality of the performance are utterly un-British and make the almost hour-long show feel like 15 minutes.’ This is what is particularly striking about the adaptation: remarkably, being created and performed in Edinburgh, it feels as Russian as the original novel.
http://www.list.co.uk/article/44303-dead-souls/
And here's The Skinny's **** review:
A lively adaptation (in English) by David W W Johnstone of Gogol's masterpiece, as well as extracts from Gogol's writings about the work skilfully woven together. This production is a gem for Russophiles or anyone who loves physical theatre.
Robert Williamson is a versatile actor who plays all the characters with charm and verve: Chichikov, the scoundrel who buys dead souls, the various land-owners and Gogol himself, even involving the audience as bit players. Wearing a waistcoat over a white shirt, the only props he needs are a handkerchief for emotional moments, a notebook listing his bought dead souls, and a chair acting as his carriage, to conjure a world of bumpy roads across the vast tundra to crumbling estates owned by mean millionaire landowners (who make their serfs share only one pair of boots between them), or elegant soirées in St Petersburg, kowtowing to His Excellency, or an account of how the famous Chapter 6 was written in a noisy bar, singing as he writes, then bursting into hand-claps and stamping in Russian dance. The political message that the Russian soul needs to be free is lightly slipped in, but clearly this remains a tale suited to our times. http://www.theskinny.co.uk/theatre/reviews/302608-dead_souls_scotlandrussia_institute
