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Reviews: Breaking the Silence |
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Responses from our Young Critic’s Circle (23-May-08) [ Young Critics' Circle Review ]
One of the good aspects of this play was the smoke effects and the cut to the chase storyline, based on an old man known to his family as ‘Master’ with his wife, son and maid all living on a train.
Good points
The effects such as the smoke, rotating train and the lighting from outside the windows of the train where all good and made the play more action packed.
The whole idea of a higher class family living on a train and the Master kicking off over him being told he was to work as a telephone examiner plus many other aspects of the play made it very funny and enjoyable to watch.
The acting and performance was fine, and I didn’t notice any slipups or mistakes, and there facial expressions suited the situations.
Bad points
A few bad points were there was only 1 set all the way through the play and it didn’t dramatically change until it was the very end. Also the fact that the Master was trying to be an inventor of ‘film with sound’ sounds very random and unlikely and doesn’t fit in with the storyline.
It wouldn’t have been a bad idea to include the drunken train driver into the play, to make the play even more exciting and funny.
Nicholas Saldeba (Yr 10)
Reviews from our Critics’ Circle Silver group (23-May-08) [ Young Critics' Circle Review ]
Stephen Poliakoff – Breaking the Silence Breaking the Silence tells the turbulent story of the Pesiakoff family, beginning with their upheaval from their palatial Moscow home. Removed from their life of luxury and privilege, the Pesiakoff family are now forced to make a living like every other Russian family.
The play itself was very long – over three hours – however the flow and tension that the piece maintained throughout made the experience seem fast paced and exciting. In my opinion this is due – in no small part – to the magnificently crafted script by Stephen Poliakoff. The overwhelmingly dark storyline was given light and shade by the character interactions; and there were many moments of comedy also which lightened the tone of the play. I believe that Esther Richardson directed this play with the pace and power it required.
The characters within this play were entirely believable in my opinion; this is both a tribute to Poliakoff’s ability to create three dimensional characters, but also to the actors who demonstrated both brilliant understanding of their characters’, but also their incredible ability to show the change of personality each character underwent. I believe that further praise should go to Diana Kent and Philip Bretherton who played Eugenia and Nikolai respectively. Their performances were outstanding; especially in the dynamic and distressing final scene. Also Ilan Goodman presentedthe aging and maturing of Sasha plausibly and accurately to the audience. Also, the characters are all so well rounded that the audience manages to empathise with every single person.
Personally, I am usually not very impressed by static sets; I prefer to have a variety of locations to witness how characters react in their new setting. However, I feel that the set used for this play was incredible; this is because it highlights the idea that these people have just been thrown into the situation, and there is no escape. Another reason why I thought the set was perfect was the fact it was simple, but also there was intricate details within the set – nothing which should have been present was missing!
During scene changes a flying gauze was lowered from the ceiling, and smoke flooded on from the wings. During the first act a train noise was played, and flashing lights behind the gauze implied the train itself was moving. However, I was slightly disappointed by the scene changes because I could easily see the stage crew behind the gauze changing the scene; for me this ruined the illusion slightly.
A key moment in this play which stood out in my mind was the epic final scene; this is because it was written so realistically, but also Diana Kent provides a tear jerking delivery of one of the most heart felt moments of the play. Also the carriage in which the play is set moves around, with the characters shouting from within; this all creates a sense of fear and anticipation for the audience.
In my opinion, a play which encompasses as many themes and topics as this either excels or fails. Perfection is required to provide a pleasing effect for the audience; and for me, that is what I received.
For me, the piece was beautifully written, and the characters perfectly crafted and portrayed. There was a dark storyline, embroidered with moments of humour and love. In my opinion, this is a play which will appeal to anyone; and I strongly recommend it to all who can attend.
Robert Throup
Review of ‘Breaking the Silence’
If you’ve seen any of Stephen Poliakoff’s recent dramas on the BBC then you’ll already know about his unique style and captivating characters. But if you haven’t, then you can get yourself down to Nottingham Playhouse between 16th - 31st May to see what everyone’s been talking about.
Set in 1920’s Russia, ‘Breaking the Silence’ follows the Jewish Poliakoff family, as they are forced by the government to swap a luxurious lifestyle for life on a train carriage. Nikolai, the head of the family, is ordered to inspect the telephones on the Northern Line, but being the stubborn aristocrat he is, he has other ideas. His aim is to be the first person to combine sound and moving pictures. However, wife Eugenia, son Sasha and maid Polya have other ideas, wishing to stay alive in what is quickly becoming a dangerous place to be.
No one could fail to be amazed by the set, showing the inside of a train carriage whilst subtly combining elements of film with sliding gauzes, a screen and a red curtain. Mixing themes of freedom, family and ambition, the plot is gripping and enjoyable, despite being slightly hard to get your head around at the start, as you are plunged straight into the action.
Effects include train noises and smoke, and are used to signify a change in time, allowing the audience to see how family relationships change over a period of several years. The only thing I would say is that three hours was possibly too long for the play, but the well played characters, especially Eugenia (Diana Kent) kept the play going at a good pace.
Overall, it’s definitely worth a look if you’ve got three hours to spare and fancy seeing a good play.
Rachel Knott
What the critics said... (21-May-08)
Esther Richardson’s revival of Poliakoff’s 1984 play concerns a wealthy Jewish family in the aftermath of the Russian revolution. Loosely based on the experiences of Poliakoff’s own grandfather, it focuses on the tale of aristocratic inventor Nikolai (Philip Bretherton, pictured), who works as a telephone examiner and lives in a railway carriage while racing to perfect a method of recording sound on to film.
Big historical themes are submerged in the intimate details of family life, as Nikolai’s vision of a new method of mass communication contrasts with his failure to explain anything to his wife Eugenia (Diana Kent), son Sasha (Ilan Goodman) or servant Polya (Celia Meiras) in his ordinary life. Historical events are transforming everything around him, but Nikolai remains stubbornly unaffected.
The cramped energies of the group are vividly recreated inside Jamie Vartan’s impressive railway carriage set, and Bretherton’s performance holds Nikolai’s contradictory character on a knife-edge between comically absurd and tragically flawed.
Wayne Burrows, Metro
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Richardson’s staging displays a sensitivity to the absurdities that can arise from extreme circumstances … Jamie Vartan’s hefty steam-filled set looks impressive ...
The writing hums with resonance. The necessity of honouring the past without becoming trapped there emerges powerfully, and sociological change is vividly suggested in the family’s shifting relationships. Nikolai’s wife Eugenia (Diana Kent), permitted to work for the first time, finds a release from years of stifling bourgeois marital frustration. Their former servant Polya (Celia Meiras) gradually sheds her subordinate status. Their son, Ilan Goodman’s gawky Sasha, grows from a cossetted boy into an anxious young man whose privileged upbringing makes him feel an imposter in his home country.
Sam Marlowe, The Times
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Nottingham Playhouse’s current play is the first major UK production of Poliakoff’s Breaking the Silence since its premiere at the Barbican Pit in 1984. Advertised as ‘continuing a season of epic drama’ it does indeed sit in a dramatically pivotal time in early 20th century Russian history...
Within that momentous period we have the intimate story of a middle class Jewish family... The story is an interesting one by Poliakoff, as it is loosely based on family history, his grandfather being an inventor, one of the first people in the world to record sound on film.
So how does this translate into an evening of theatre? It offers a wonderful opportunity for a dramatic set – in Nottingham’s case, a life-sized railway carriage placed within a cinematic setting, with lots of steam, sound effects and flickering film. Full marks to designer, Jamie Vartan, and composer and sound designer, Stuart Briner. The coup de grace comes at the very end – no letting out secrets here!
At the beginning of the play Nikolai the father, (Philip Bretherton) autocratic and dictatorial, is the central figure. Bretherton is good at the imperious manner and time-trapped image... As time progresses the women (Diana Kent and Celia Meiras) take over the stage – we enjoy their liberation, their growing energy, their confidence and increasing worldly success. Kent and Meiras inject vibrancy just at the right time. Ilan Goodman as Sasha develops from small boy to independent youth, an important character whose one big gesture infuses the play with heightened tension.
... director Esther Richardson presents a story to hold our attention, with many strands to ponder – the obsession of the creative artist, the changing role of women, the breaking down of class barriers ... And all in the context of a mystery – will Nikolai succeed with his invention? An escape story - now refugees, will the family manage to cross the border from Russia to Poland? Go and find out the answer for yourselves!
Elaine Peel, Theatreworld
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Although Philip Bretherton’s performance as Nikolai is faultless, it’s impossible not to mention also the excellent set which, in the Playhouse’s trademark style, has unexpected moving bits ... an excellent production and ... an interesting family portrait
Adrian Bhagat, LeftLion
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NOTTINGHAM Playhouse’s current production of Stephen Poliakoff’s 1984 play Breaking the Silence is a sleek, professional performance of this historical drama which has not been performed for 20 years. ...
Initially, I found the upper-middle-class family slightly irritating, feeble and self-indulgent, particularly the female characters who seem unable to make decisions for themselves.
But as the story unravels, the audience becomes aware that their weaknesses are mainly a product of 19th Century subordination of women and while the revolution left the country dangerous and uncertain, the female characters do at least realise some degree of independence.
I thought that the production of this play was very impressive, particularly the juxtaposition of family life in the carriage and the raging, barbaric war outside –– which was extremely poignant.
Catherine Allan, Mansfield Chad
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SCENERY ON TRACK TO SUCCESS
THE obvious star of this play is the realistic railway carriage inside which the entire action is set. It puffs smoke into the audience, clanks and heaves, leaves and arrives at god-forsaken stations and, at the end, turns full circle.
It makes you feel claustrophobic but perhaps it’s supposed to. It encapsulates the protagonists from the upheavals outside. ...
Philip Bretherton ... gives us all Nikolai’s comic social pretentiousness and single-minded genius. ,,, His apparent idealism about England is an amusing irony. ,,,
Polya’s (Celia Meiras) transformation from illiterate servant to assertive woman, and the self-emancipation of Eugenia (Diana Kent) from upper-class helplessness to resourceful woman are both beautifully done. Eugenia’s eloquence at the end is a highlight.
Alan Geary, Nottingham Evening Post
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Philip Bretherton relishes the role of an arrogant and self-deluding man with contempt for women and an inability to relate to his family. ...
The narrowing and expansion of the aperture through which the action is viewed gives it a cinematic feel. Clouds of steam coupled with the mighty mechanisms of a moving train are atmospheric and there’s a spectacular trademark ending by the designer, Jamie Vartan…..
…..the four-year interval marking the opening of the second half brings speed and liberation. Nikolai’s submissive wife, Eugenia, played by Diana Kent, once terrified of shedding her stockings, is now a confident working woman. The cosseted son, Sasha (Ilan Goodman), is trying to scuff his indestructibly English shoes in an effort to shake off a privileged background that now embarrasses him.
The feisty maid, Polya (Celia Meiras), best epitomises the reversals brought about by huge world events but the relationship between Nikolai and Verkoff (Owen Aaronovitch), the Commissary who ought to unmask him and doesn’t, is the most subtly drawn.
Pat Ashworth, The Stage
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…designer Jamie Vartan……has come up with an amazing set which captures the decrepitude of the railway carriage, so alien to the Pesiakoffs who considered themselves part of the Russian aristocracy. There’s also a filmic look at the start and during scene changes.
With atmospheric lighting from James Farncombe and intriguing sound from Stuart Briner…the acting is first rate…
Philip Bretherton gives an absorbing performance as Nikolai, steadfast in his refusal to bow down to the authorities; passionate about his work; quick to lose his temper; and a proud father who, despite being a good family man, is prepared to risk everything to fulfil his dream.
Bretherton looks every inch an elegant aristocrat and there’s just the hint of a mad professor in his portrayal which fits the role perfectly.
There’s excellent support from Diana Kent as Nikolai’s loyal wife Eugenia, who covers up for him by fabricating records which the authorities demand of him; and Celia Meiras as the rebellious maid Polya who’s an invaluable help to Nikolai’s work.
Ilan Goodman almost steals the show as the Pesiakoffs’ son Sasha, developing from a frightened, timid boy into a confident teenager whose close relationship with his father is tested as the youngster doesn’t share his father’s desire for non-conformism…..
…….overall it’s an admirable presentation of a rarely performed work which has become one of the impressive hallmarks of Nottingham Playhouse.
Steve Orme The British Theatre Guide
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Philip Bretherton makes entirely credible a man who is so single minded and arrogant he seems at times to be completely implausible! His single mindedness in the pursuance of his dreams, even to the extent of endangering his family, is astonishing – and amusing. …
It is the women of the piece who are liberated by the tragic situation they find themselves in. Diana Kent is excellent as Nikolai’s wife, Eugenia. The stifling social constraints she is frustrated by are gradually stripped away as the existing social order is turned on its head, allowing her to develop into a happy, independent and brave woman. …
Polya (Celia Meiras), the faithful family servant, who stays because she has nowhere else to go, is also allowed to grow and flourish as a person within the claustrophobic confines of Jamie Vartan’s railway carriage set. ...
All this may sound very worthy but this tragi-comedy doesn’t seek to make moral judgements or teach us a lesson. It is a story of a family and an insight into the human condition with all its absurdities. The humour of the piece is found in the most unlikely places, as in life.
Jen Mitchell, Reviewsgate
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