Few things are more off-putting than emails from the Abbey explaining that the play you have tickets for will be running at three and a half hours, and thus must begin half an hour earlier than scheduled. It’s unsurprising that a Tolstoy adaptation should rack up a long running time, the question is, will the time be put to good use?
One of Russian literature’s most celebrated works, Anna Karenina, follows the tragic downfall of a married woman who falls in love with a rakish young prince. The initial impression given is that this will be a stark, painful examination of the novel’s politics – the pre-set is an immense white wall with “VENGEANCE IS MINE” aggressively written in red paint across its face. Alas this is about as brave as the production gets in regards to pushing its message.
Most of Wayne Jordan’s production is set in a faded ballroom, embellished by immense whirling curtains and a track that wheels in characters and set pieces. Many heavy furs and lavish gowns are mixed in with more modern elements of dress, grounding the story in its period without labouring over attention to historical detail. Where the production becomes less coherent is with its cast, covering a vast range of characters who appear over the years of the story. Lisa Dwan’s strong central performance as Anna, carrying herself from contented married life to utter despondency, can occasionally feel lost amongst a large ensemble of comic and tragic figures. A certain spark, however, is lacking from her lustful connection with Vronsky (Rory Fleck-Byrne), which dampens their dynamic.
Marina Carr’s adaptation centres in on the position of female characters and their slave-like obedience to their patriarchal culture. Pregnancy is depicted to the point of grotesqueness – Dolly (Ruth McGill) gives birth to three children over the course of the play, which ends with the implication that her innocent young sister will be following in her wake. A scene in which aforementioned sister Kitty (Julie Maguire) gives birth is somewhat graphically depicted. One senses that a point is trying to be made regarding women and bodily autonomy, as Dolly is shocked to learn from Anna that one can prevent pregnancy, but at times the play resembles too much of a pantomime to get the message properly across.
Ultimately, Anna Karenina is a solid Abbey Christmas production. While the running time can be justified in regards pacing of the script, there are more inspiring ways to spend three and a half hours.
