A haunting study of human nature and the meaning of life.
Greg Hicks stuns in The Dream of a Ridiculous Man. Based on the myth of Utopia and the downfall of mankind, this tale explores human suffering, salvation, corruption, and the purpose of life. Laurence Boswell has adapted Dostoevsky’s short story and delivered the most quintessentially British interpretation of Russian literature. This one man show brilliantly stitches humor and hope into an otherwise grim and distressing search for meaning.
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man is thought to be the culmination of Dostoevsky’s most valuable ideas. With impressive levity, this story follows a dejected loner who transforms his life after dreaming of paradise and its corruption. Playing through the horrors of humanity in one man’s life-altering dream, this story questions the very nature of mankind. It is an indescribably powerful experience.
Every aspect of this show is brilliantly thought through and executed. With only one actor and his suitcase, lighting and sound design have combined with intelligent movement direction to effectively convey key scenes, settings, and characters. Sound Designer and Movement director, Gary Sefton, deftly layered voices and music which were then complimented by Hicks’ well-choreographed movements. Ben Ormerod’s lighting design used shadows and projections to signify various locations, as well as various colored lights to symbolize mood changes. Particularly effective was the projection of a man’s face which came in pieces and seemed to symbolize Hicks’ internal struggle and the evils of mankind.
Greg Hicks’ performance in The Dream of a Ridiculous Man is a masterclass in stage performance. Immediately the audience is drawn into the story by his powerful voice and inviting body language. He is a fascinatingly physical actor in the amount he is able to communicate in a single action; throughout the show he easily conveys interactions with multiple other characters. Hicks’ deftly builds tension as the story progresses while periodically interjecting amusing commentary on his character’s experience. His vocal manipulation is a work of art in itself. He flits between a number of inflections and tones to signify other characters and emotions; tremors are put into lines of stress, cracks occur at peaks of emotion, it is truly impressive.
The brilliance of this play culminated in a single scene which had the entire audience holding their breath. At the height of his internal struggle, Hicks takes a slow march across the stage with a gun in one hand as a hauntingly beautiful song flows from his lips. It is a bittersweet moment as the audience sits spellbound by the man unraveling before them.
Boswell’s adaptation of The Dream of a Ridiculous Man is a captivating modernization of Dostoevsky’s tragic commentary on the human condition. Greg Hicks brilliantly brings the emotional tale to life with a lively and passionate performance that enthralls the audience every step of the way. It is theater at its finest, as was demonstrated by the standing ovation it received. It will leave you with a melancholic sort of hope, as you wonder about your purpose.
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man is not to be missed this season at the Marylebone Theatre.
Thank you both for the review which will drive me to attend and alerting me to this venue, new to me in the Steiner House, repurposed from celestial to theatrical. I appreciate the intellectual framing which brings the reader into the world purpose of the performance. Thank you. JON