Review: AFTER THE REHEARSAL / PERSONA, Barbican

Two Ingmar Bergman screenplays are reimagined for the stage in an experimental double bill, presented by Ivo van Hove's company Toneelgroep at the Barbican Centre. The production is a voyeuristic insight into the chaotic lives of theatre people, exposing the delicate line between art and reality, illness and normality.

After the Rehearsal teaches us not to mix the professional with the personal. Once you do, it's all downhill from there. Hendrik Vogler directs the young actress Anna. When the rehearsal finishes, the pair chat about the play, life and the influence of lying on their lives.

The roles of both director and actor are explained. Directors should learn two things: when to listen, and when to shut up. They must administer, organise, and translate the undesirable. There is no room for the director to have feelings. On the other hand, actors hope to impress, and have an immeasurable amount of gratitude for the director.

Bergman had a work ethic that insisted every hour of every day should have its appointed task, which would explain his remarkable level of productivity. He is quoted in saying that Persona saved his life, mentioning that in creating the film he had experienced "total freedom", where he touched "wordless secrets".

In the play Elisabeth Vogler, a celebrated actress, stops speaking midway through a performance, and completely retreats into silence from thereon in. After being taken to hospital, Alma, a young nurse is put in charge of her care. But in her efforts to save Elisabeth she loses her purity, realising that the actress is manipulating her every move.

Gaite Jansen shines as Alma. Retelling her shocking sexual encounters, Jansen tenderly delivers her monologues with a weighted intensity. When this is juxtaposed with Elisabeth's lifeless expression it creates an unbearable tension. As well as her excellent portrayal of Elisabeth, Marieke Heebink is equally impressive as the melancholic and drunk Rachel.

Both plays are intentionally oblique, but fit well with van Hove's ability to evoke a visceral reaction within the spectator. His soundscapes flit effectively from harrowing to dreamlike. Along with designer Jan Verweyveld, the artistic vision of the piece proves to be forward-thinking: walls come crashing down into a lake of water, turning Persona's hospital setting into a deserted island.

There are times when the surtitles are delayed, causing moments of dialogue to be missed. At times the English translation doesn't show up on the screen, meaning you quickly have to dissect what the Dutch word means in an attempt to understand what's going on.

The entire evening takes a lot of concentration. Starting at 7.45pm and ending at 11pm, putting these two plays on back to back is a questionable decision. The pace of both is rather slow, intentionally so it may seem, but nonetheless this leaves the non-alert drifting off.

Van Hove speaks of Bergman having a real influence on the work he makes, saying that the Nordic director "shows us all our inimitable complexity". It's interesting to note that a standing ovation is only given the moment van Hove steps onto the stage. Does this make a case for the argument that the director is the most important component of a production?

There are a lot of highlights to take away from the evening, but you have to work hard to find them. It's not an easy viewing experience, but if audiences put the work in, then they're in for a real treat.

After the Rehearsal/Persona at the Barbican until 30 September

Photo credit: Jan Versweyveld

To post a comment, you must register and login.