For 'The Lower Depths'...

 

"Well worth going underground for." 

by Jonathan Evans for remotegoat on 03/09/10

Orphaned at the age of ten, a runaway by twelve and a suicide attempt at nineteen. Is it any wonder then, that Gorky (incidentally a pseudonym literally meaning 'bitter') went on to write a play called "The Lower Depths"? Subtitled "Scenes from Russian Life", much of the raw material would have been mined during his nomadic years traveling across Russia on foot, changing jobs and collecting impressions which would be used in his later writing.

Descending the staircase down into the Barons Court Theatre, one immediately gets the sensation of being drawn into those lower depths, where designer Katie Lias has done a remarkable job transforming the space into a hideous and foul lodging house, in which the characters are forced to camp in cramped cages like battery-farmed animals. The audience is invited to share the poisonous air of these social derelicts.

Cogs Theatre, with Matt Beresford at the helm directing a strong cast of fourteen, have collectively managed to place Gorky's classic work into the twenty-first century with such ease that you can imagine it was written yesterday. Okay, some of the credit must be given to the timeless quality of the original text, but this company breathe real character and life into Gorky's withering world.

Central to this world is the art of storytelling from the herded gathering of lost souls: the thief, the gambler, the aristocrat, the actor, the prostitute and the Muslim to name a few. In fact, Rajan Sharma, as the nameless Muslim, probably has the least dialogue but the most presence of all. Russell Barnett also stands out, as the realist and pessimistic Satin, who imbues an unspoken danger into his prophetic character.

Overall, however, what is missing is the inherent comedy within the drama, and when it does come across it is at the expense of characterisation. Jez Jameson is initially a little too much of a caricature to believe wholly in the inevitability of his fate. These shortcomings, however, are more than compensated for in atmosphere, and what works particularly well in this production is the absence of a boundary between actor and audience. For two hours we all become members of this depraved society.

The arrival of Luka (played with fine understatement by Sandy Myles) brings a certain faith to the downtrodden characters. But he has come too late into their lives and, fate having already overtaken them, they are always thrust back into the depths. One can do much worse than to join these disparate and desperate souls in the lower depths of the Barons Court Theatre. It's not perfect, but life isn't - particularly the lives depicted here. But it is gritty and moving, and very relevant today. 'Shelter' - the housing and homeless charity - will undoubtedly be proud to have their name associated with it.

 

The Lower Depths. Cogs Theatre Company Review.

Maxim Gorky’s masterpiece The Lower Depths is given a fresh and lively staging at the Baron’s Court Theatre by Cogs Theatre Company.

The Baron’s Court Theatre is a small and difficult space to negotiate, as there are two large columns which make sight lines notoriously difficult. Other productions in this quirky venue have suffered as a result so I was interested to see how it would be managed in this production. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased to see that The Lower Depths was staged and directed in a highly imaginative way which made use of the space rather than working against it.

The play is set in the overcrowded basement of a boarding house; scaffolding was used to create raised sleeping areas for the characters, washing lines were strung across the back of the auditorium and the characters moved in to and out of the space at close proximity to the audience on the front row. In short the cramped environment was expertly conjured up both by the set design and the direction. In addition to this it was refreshing and powerful to see such a large cast on stage and especially a fringe stage at that.

With Arts cuts being what they are it is very rare to see more than five people on stage these days so to see a strong ensemble cast of fourteen was excellent. The performances were nearly all spot on and the actors worked incredibly well as an ensemble. Indeed it was these ensemble moments that served the play best and the naturalistic style of a rowdy group of people living on top of one another, overlapping their sentences, fighting, singing and laughing was skilfully brought to life.

There were several moments of poignancy amidst all the chaos and the characters were nearly always engrossing. In particular Phillipa Flynn played Nastya the young sentimental prostitute with a truthful lightness of touch, never once labouring the character and similarly Hannah-Jane Pawsey brought a great deal of straightforward sensitivity to Natasha who here was portrayed as gentle and troubled but never a victim.

Despite being written in 1901 this production and the play itself still felt fresh and of course the themes of poverty, addiction and desperation are as relevant today as they were then. This is a thoroughly engaging and thought provoking play, full of verve with a strong ensemble cast and excellent direction.

Fringe Comedy Review

 

 

 The Lower Depths

by Viv Smith (Socialist Worker)

Maxim Gorky's play about life in Russia in 1902 is perfectly suited to the tiny warren that is the Baron's Court theatre.

It's as if you dropped in for a cup of tea—a washing line hangs across one of the blocks of seating and actors perform in the isles.

The play is set in the basement of a house where poor people are forced to eke out their existence sharing a tiny hovel of a space.

Gorky's play gives us an insight into a society that is degenerating. It raises questions about the lives we lead and how they are constructed—is the poor convict different from the baron?

This is perhaps Gorky's best-known play, becoming his first major success and a hallmark of Russian socialist realism.

I thought I was in for a dark, depressing production. But it is neither. Yes it shows the harsh reality of life and exposes the comforting lies people construct to make their lives bearable.

But it does challenge the hopelessness of their existence and, towards the end, the light of humanity's potential to overcome the constraints society imposes on us flickers in the dark.

Worth trying to squeeze in before it ends.

 

 Posted by: Gavin Kalin on the 4 September 2010

THE LOWER DEPTHS

It was a sell out at the Barons Court Theatre, for Cogs production of the play 'The Lower Depths' by Maxim Gorky. It could not have been a more appropriate play given that it is in aid of Shelter.  The play is of the desperate and destitute with barely a square metre of floor space per person in a basement room. A grim subject you may think and indeed it is, but it held my interest and concentration throughout.

The Lower Depths was an immediate success in Russia from its first staging back in 1902. In so many ways it is still relevant today, though one would hope that a woman's life is somewhat improved since that era.

Gorky's masterpiece echoes the lives of his characters - there are no simple answers and no satisfying resolution. It remains powerfully relevant whenever poverty drives people to addiction and despair and leaves us asking a crucial question - is it better to face the harsh truth or make life easier with comforting lies?

The play is set in the cramped basement of a boarding-house, where thieves, whores, cynics and dreamers at the bottom of society struggle to survive in a Russia on the eve of revolution, though this production is depicted in present time. The play was also particularly suited to Baron's Court Theatre because the tiny stage intensified the sense of cramped living conditions. The set was cleverly designed and felt dingy and foul, though not particularly cold, as the script suggested.

Gorky's colourful characters are a grimly realistic herd of lost souls, stripped of possessions, hope and humanity. They survive with humour, violence, alcohol and fantasies of their past. The first act was not entirely convincing of their desperate situation. They could all have appeared more bedraggled and less coherent, perhaps even more objectionable, and contrary.

However, when a new lodger arrives, he offers hope of a better future - in this life or the next - the effect on the inhabitants is huge. Some reject and others embrace him, but all of their lives are changed forever.

There was much more energy in the second half, which gave emphasis to the new hope so ably offered by Sandy Myles playing Luka.

The script is so brilliant that it is totally challenging, and the large cast of 14 each had their cameos and moments of glory.

It is certainly worth seeing, and with worthwhile cause as well, it's a good excuse to visit this unique venue below a most appealing pub restaurant in Barons Court.

 

 For Timon of Athens...

 

"I watched this afternoon's matinee and it was one of the most excitingly original plays we've seen at Baron's Court: a huge credit to everyone involved. You clearly have a talent for picking winners - more, please!" 

 

Ron Philips, Artistic Director, Barons Court Theatre.

 

 

"Timon a Big City Bonus"