Reviews: The Lovegirl and The Innocent @ Southwark Playhouse

Lovegirl and The Innocent

Southwark Playhouse, October 26, 2013

            With a title like ‘Lovegirl,’ I was a little surprised by how many men, and how little love there was on stage. Lovegirl and The Innocent is set in Soviet Russia in 1945 in a prison camp where the focus is more on the conditions within the camps than the lives of these prisoners who no longer have hope of ever getting out. This rarely performed play is enjoying its first revival in 30 years at Southwark Playhouse in London, hardly surprising considering the 50 characters within the script. With a cast of 16 playing 50 distinct characters, Matthew Dunster has created a vivid piece of theatre written by Russian native and prison camp veteran, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

            Bombarded with harsh lighting and a stark yet imposing set in Southwark Playhouse’s larger black-box space, The Large, I was surprised by the calm of a man coming speaking to the audience – giving necessary information as a scene played out behind him. This model of storytelling is carried on throughout the play, and while usually I’d rather be shown than told, it was a good source of information for those of us unfamiliar with the inner-workings of Soviet prison camps. It is a fast moving play, and the informative narrative allowed it to move forward quickly without delay.

            On stage for the majority of the play is Cian Barry as the righteous Nemov, who works so hard at the beginning to correct all the wrong doings in the camp. Nemov is a man filled with the need to do well by doing right, unfortunately his comrades don’t seem to agree with him. Moved to another area of the camp, no longer apparently too worried about safety and not enough with productivity, he finally has the chance to talk with Lyuba, a ‘lovegirl,’ who survives the prison camps through obtaining favor from men.

            Due to illness, the original actress slated to play Lyuba had to step down, allowing Rebecca Oldfield to take on the role. Oldfield’s Lyuba stands out as strong and resilient amongst a downtrodden ensemble of prisoners, some who are still fighting the good fight, but others who have given up and given in. Together, Oldfield and Barry have a simple and honest chemistry that is heartwarming against the bitter backdrop of oppression.

            This is a long play filled with a large number of characters, while there were only sixteen actors on stage, it felt much more expansive. The differences between the characters were distinct and I never felt confused as to whom I was watching. It’s not a particularly easy play to sit through, unless you enjoy watching people getting severely beaten and harassed. It’s not easy, but it is powerful.

            This is a piece of theatre worth seeing, not simply because this is the first revival in 30 years, but also because it’s an important subject. Learn about the world, educate yourself and check out The Lovegirl and The Innocent.