Sunday 4 May 2008

Venus in Furs, May 4, 2008

Venus in Furs 
by Neal Harvey, by Elbow Room
Theatreworks, May 4 to 18, 2008
Reviewer: Kate Herbert

If you do not recognise the name Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, you will probably know the psychosexual condition that was coined for him: masochism. 

In his 1870 book, Venus in Furs, the character of Severin (Angus Grant) craves domination by his objet d’amour, Wanda (Karen Roberts), and his desires are eventually fulfilled.

Severin is initially in love with a statue of “Venus in Furs” but his attentions turn to the sophisticated and aloof Wanda, a real woman in furs to whom he pledges lifelong submission. Wanda is slow to participate in his sexual games but eventually she compels Severin, who she insists on calling Gregor, to sign a contract to be her slave. What follows should be dangerous and lusty but is more frequently tepid and sometimes ridiculous, as we can discern from the audience laughter.

Theatrical adaptations from literary sources almost invariably suffer from the too much problem: too much exposition, too much talk, too much prose that does not translate into dialogue. Neal Harvey’s adaptation suffers from this malady.

Director Marcel Dorney makes some peculiar choices, allowing too many long speeches and too little stage action – apart from some half-hearted flagellation.  He also mixes his theatrical conventions by using both mimed and real objects – invisible then real rope and a real easel used to hold mimed painting.

This is not to say that there is not some merit in the production. The simple but classical design by Lucie Sprague is evocative and the two actors clearly bring some skill to the performances. Grant has an engaging quality and Roberts is elegant although she plays Wanda within a narrow range, inexplicably avoiding the peaks of dominatrix behaviour. The two sometimes appear to want to swap roles.

However, the play is repetitive and, particularly for the first 30 minutes, very slow to progress. The script lacks a clear dramatic arc and the production is surprisingly lacking in sensuality or sexual titillation for a play about sadomasochism.

By Kate Herbert

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