Billed as ‘a concert in one act’, Theatre Des Bouffes Du Nord’s ambitious On the Harmful Effects of Smoking Tobacco is tender and surprising, although difficult to categorise. Chekhov’s one act monologue is interspersed with the works of Bach, Berio and Tchaikovsy. At the centre of it is aging academic Nioukhine, played by French film and theatre veteran, Michel Robin. He is bullied by his wife into giving a lecture on the harmful effects of smoking (despite being a life-long smoker), but instead he goes on a series of digressions, speaking mainly about the harmful effects of his wife. His musings are interrupted by musical interludes from his daughters, played by Floriane Bonanni (also credited with the concept of the show), Muriel Ferraro and Emmanuelle Swiercz.
The show begins amidst a sea of ticking metronomes: as Nioukhine manages to silence one, another begins. His would-be lecture on the dangers of tobacco actually takes the form of a detailed and absurd meditation on the fultility of his life. He describes how unlucky he is, how he is plagued by the number 13, and how he is tormented by his overbearing wife. Although this may seem a bleak premise, it’s not. Nioukhine’s despair is tempered by each musical performance, as though every unfinished thought he has is completed by the music. Despite his anguish, we see the love he has for his daughters, his sense of mischief and play. Then, as gently as it begins, the play is over. He goes on, pottering around the stage, trying to avoid his wife. Robin is a wonderfully charismatic performer and his comedy is always underpinned by pathos; with every detail, every sigh and roll of the eyes, we are reminded of the misfortune of his situation.
The show succeeds on the strength of director Podalydès’s restrained direction and the exceptional quality of each musical performance. Violinist Boranni played Bach’s Sonata No.2 in B minor for Violin and Piano with spirit and elegance, and Berio’s Sequenza VII for Violin was a fury of technical virtuosity. A challenging piece for both performer and audience member alike, the piece features angular melodies and extensive repetition. Soprano Furraro began Tchaikovsky’s Romance, Op 47, No. 1 tentatively, before finding a full-bodied, rich soprano and a deeply moving interpretation. Pianist Emmanuelle Swiercz found an urgency in Bach’s Partita No. 2 in C minor and accompanied throughout with precision and clarity.
On the Harmful Effects of Smoking Tobacco also features striking costume design by Christian Lacroix. Set designer Delphine Sainte-Marie has created a beautifully disheveled set of musical instruments and curtains, one that feels immediately intimate.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord
On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco
Directed by Denis Podalydès
Venue: Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House
22 – 25 January 2015
Sydney Festival 2015
www.sydneyfestival.com.au
8-26 January
