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London Review
London ReviewThe Grand Inquisitor
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If anyone ever deserved our fires, it is you. Tomorrow I will burn you.
---- The Grand Inquisitor |
Peter Brook
(Photo: Bi Gazeta) |
Like DreamThinkSpeak's recent adaptation of Crime and Punishment, a kaleidoscopic representation of Dostoyevsky forms the basis for this production. The Brothers Karamazov a tale of innocence, holiness and depravity is reset to Seville during the darkest hour of the Inquisition. A charismatic, miraculous yet charitable figure appears in Spain, apparently the re-incarnation of Christ. Imprisoned by the Grand Inquisitor (Bruce Myers), he is treated to an intensive session of religious theorising. It is perhaps ironic that this instance of the Inquisition should lack any form of enquiry. Instead, the Cardinal delivers a monologue on the Biblical story of Christ in the Wilderness and its dubious significance to the human condition. The barefooted Listener (Rohit Bagai) kneels opposite the Inquisitor and is motionless and impassive. His unbroken silence means that it is solely the Grand Inquisitor who forms our impression of Christ.
Bruce Myers performance is steady and direct but cannot circumvent the didactic and recitative nature of the text. The staging is effectively simple and stark. The bare stage, with an unrelieved black backdrop, has no props or scenery except for a single wooden stall. The harshly bright lighting implicates the audience in the dogmatic interrogation.
It is interesting to consider how rapturously this production would have been received without the involvement of the iconic Peter Brook. It is static, sententious but high profile. The question remains how engaging to a modern audience is a play about Biblical semantics which does not transcend its immediate context. However with just five days of performance in the Barbican's smallest venue, its appeal needs to be exclusive.
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THE GRAND INQUISITOR
Adapted by Marie Helene Estienne From The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky Directed by Peter Brook With: Bruce Myers, Rohit Bagai Produced by William Wilkinson Lighting Design: Philippe Vialatte Millbrook Productions Ltd and Theatre des Bouffes du Nord Running time: 50 minutes with no interval Box Office: 0845 120 7554 Booking to 26th February 2006 Reviewed by Charlotte Loveridge based on 21st February 2006 performance at the Pit, Barbican Centre, Silk Street London EC1 (Tube: Barbican) |
