Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita is one of those famous books everyone starts to read but rarely finishes. Prolific local director Daniel Schlusser has taken this dense novel as a launching pad for his particular brand of daring theatre making in his latest creation M + M. As the highly truncated title suggests Schlusser’s piece is not a direct adaptation of the book rather a loose exploration of some of its broader themes, such as the abuse of authority and the struggle for truth. The production also peppers in some timely allusions to the Pussy Riot scandal in contemporary Russia.
The problem with M + M is that those unfamiliar with the original text may find themselves lost. Schlusser has almost entirely done away with any clear storyline or connective tissue to Bulgakov’s text. So what we are ultimately left with comes across as an extended avant-garde drama exercise.
The performance begins with a lone figure (Josh Price) mopping the floor of the stage before more actors begin emerging from the set, getting dressed and seemingly preparing for the day. Romaine Harper and Anna Cordingley have successfully transformed the Theatre Works stage into a dingy asylum setting, complete with a caged area upstage, half-a-dozen bunk beds, a series of lockers and two security screens recording all movements on stage.
As the performance progresses, the playing space is constantly shifted and manipulated by the ensemble. We can differentiate two male authority figures (Johnny Carr and Mark Leonard Winter) from the female ‘patients’ in the asylum, played by Nikki Shiels, Karen Sibbing, Emily Tomlins and Edwina Wren. However, any concept of character development or plot is not offered; the audience simply watches as the improvised, impulsive and wildly spasmodic actions of the performers spew forth.
It is extremely difficult to find an entrance into understanding the world that is being created in front of you. There are tiny glimpses of clarity throughout; short amplified phone calls, brief interrogations and small interactions between cast members, but these are few and far between.
There is just too much going on here to get a grasp on anything lasting. Most of the dialogue is mumbled, actions are played out simultaneously so focus is most often split and everyone is so busy changing the set around and picking up props that it all becomes overwhelmingly chaotic. This is a shame because the ensemble for this production is a veritable dream team of Melbourne’s best young actors. However, none of them are really given a chance to, well, act. Tomlins is a mournful and troubled figure and her pain, especially towards the end of the performance, is palpable. Shiels has a devilishly playful aura throughout and Sibbing is captivating when she emerges from the locker covered head-to-toe in black paint, coming across as a version of the demonic cat Behemoth from The Master and Margarita. Price has a commanding physicality, especially when tottering across the stage in dress and high heels, and Winter has explosive moments of rage and accomplished flashes of humor. The commitment and daring of this brave ensemble should be congratulated; they are raw, sexy and breathtaking.
Schlusser does manage to create some stunning visuals in M + M. Snow magically falls from the sky, three women stand crucified whilst holding helium balloons and the director’s trademark opening up of the performance space is thrilling at times. Michael Pulsford’s live compositions are also effective, adding an aggressive layer of rhythm and atmosphere. M + M is most successful when it takes a breath and presents reinterpreted moments from Bulgakov’s novel. For example, the discussion between Wren as a Roman guard and Winter as Jesus is clear and engaging. Schlusser also doesn’t seem to know when or how to conclude the performance. The final twenty minutes or so are rather monotonous.
There is no denying that M + M is daring and experimental theatre, however without a certain amount of intelligibility on offer to the audience you walk away feeling exhausted and exasperated.
Rating: 2 ½ stars out of 5
M+M
Presented by Theatre Works and Melbourne Festival
Directed by Daniel Schlusser
Theatre Works, St Kilda
8-16 October
Melbourne Festival 2013
www.melbournefestival.com.au
11-27 October
Image credit: Daisy Noyes
