It's time for my review of Rosmersholm.An election looming. A country on the brink. A rabid press baying for blood. At the centre of the storm stands Rosmer's home, the grand house of an influential dynasty. This is where the future will be decided by John Rosmer - a man torn between the idealised hope of the future and the ghosts of his past.
Rosmersholm was first written in 1886 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, however for the new West End revival, the original source material has been adapted by Duncan MacMillan. Whilst the play still takes place in the late 1800's, certain elements of the story have been updated to cover a range of topical issues, which has been done in order to reinforce its relevance to a modern audience. The aspect of Rosmerholm's story that I personally found to be the most interesting was the character of Rebecca West, the show's rebellious young heroine. Rebecca is an exceedingly determined woman who, despite not having the right to vote, will do everything within her power to influence politics. In defiance of the men that tell her to avoid such matters, nothing will stand in her way when she decides to give assistance to a progressive and liberal political party, thus unseating the incumbent conservative government. Whilst some of her methods end up going to the extreme, her relentless strength of character makes her fascinating. Whilst those watching the play in 1886 would likely have disapproved of Ms. West, modern audiences are likely to adopt to a more sympathetic view of the character, simply viewing her as a woman ahead of her time. The power struggle and clash of ideologies that takes place between Rebecca West and conservative Governor Andreas Kroll makes for interesting viewing, and their final 'show-down' was very well-acted. The political topics explored within Rosmersholm are extremely compelling, with Ibsen and MacMillan offering criticisms on both left and right political viewpoints. The criticisms made towards politics are still highly relevant today, which shows that, even 100 years later, not all that much has changed.
As John Rosmer is Tom Burke, who performs the role with excellent skill. Burke perfectly conveys Romser's inner-sadness and lack of joy, giving a heartfelt and sincere performance. Playing such a broken man for an extended period of time can be difficult, but Burke portrayed this flawlessly. In the role of Rebecca West is Hayley Atwell, who is completely and utterly mesmerising. Atwell fully immerses herself in the role, resulting in a performance that is both believable and spellbinding. She puts an abundance of emotion and passion into her portrayal, and as a consequence her characterisation is intriguing. Giles Terera, as pompous conservative Governor Andreas Kroll, is also outstanding. Terera's demonstration of his Kroll's lack of heart and pragmatism was very interesting indeed, especially in contrast to Atwell's Rebecca West, who was more of a romantic. Terera is evidently a gifted actor, whose abilities were well-suited to this particular role.
The scenic design, crafted by Rae Smith, was sublime. From the second I entered the Duke of Yorks Theatre, I was immediately struck by the immense detail of the set. I particularly admired the decision to have the portraits of John Rosmer's relatives hung up on the wall, due to the fact that it helped to add a number of layers to the story. Throughout the course of the play, John Rosmer tarnishes his family's legacy, and it seemed at times as if the portraits were staring down at him in disapproval. I also rather admired the lighting, which has been designed by Neil Austin. The lighting gradually changes as the play goes on to show the progression of time, therefore using different coloured lights for the morning, afternoon and evening. Whilst a small touch, it really helped to make Rosmersholm feel all the more life-like.
Now for my final verdict on Rosmersholm. I give Rosmersholm...
This new adaptation of Rosmersholm is remarkable. The performances of Burke, Atwell and Terera are all astounding, and in addition to this there are also a number of masterful creative features.
Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.
Thanks for reading!
-The Reviewer
No comments:
Post a Comment