Review: ANNA KARENINA, The Actors' Church

After a sold-out run at Oxford University, composer Maria Shepard took her musical based on Lev Tolstoy's Anna Karenina for a one-night engagement at The Actors' Church in London as part of Iris Theatre's Workin Process. Considered one of the greatest literary accomplishment of all time, it's certainly an ambitious venture for the young Shepard, who pens a mature revisitation of the material directed by Jasmine White.

The grandiosity and solemnity needed to have the piece click within itself are all there in her music, with choral scenes resonating perfectly, though some solos need more poignancy to make the work seamless. Even running at nearly three hours with an interval, some of the crucial moments in the book seem rushed at the expense of other less cathartic ones.

She boils down the original eight parts efficiently, centring the attention on the relationships rather than the politics of olden Russia and transporting her audience in a world of betrayal and gossip, family and affairs. There are pacing and tonality issues that might be minor setbacks in the greater picture, but these are worth exploring for the show to be snappier.

Shepard is a brilliant composer, but her libretto could do with some editing to match the impressive and intricate music. Tolstoy's characters soar with her composition: the Golden Age standard of the musical complements the subject matter and gives the plot the slant it claims.

The student actors held their own, with strong voices and more-or-less laudable performances. Imogen Honey Strachan's Anna is complex and compelling, as are the women who surround her (their song on what's expected of them in the second act is a definite highlight of the show).

Among the featured actors, Priya Radhakrishnan stands out as Countess Lydia but gives her best when she takes on the role of the Opera Singer, dazzling the crowd with a voluptuous voice.

As written by Shepard, Anna Karenina sets the foundation for a great piece of theatre, and it's already a monumental achievement for the young woman.

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