Written by withintheatre
Directed by Sofia Barysevich
Review by Eve Nugent
Anatomy Lecture Theatre at Summerhall
The year is 1955. Moscow is in mourning. Stalin’s grave is still warm.
All youth are encouraged to join Komsomol, explains the harsh officer Katya (played by Olga Pipchanka), the Soviet organisation designed to create loyal, active members of the Communist Party. Alongside her is Mels, whose name derives from the acronym ‘Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin’, also devoted to enforcing state control through discipline and strict censorship, embodied with charm by Andrii Zamiatin.
In defiance, counterculture subgroup Stilyagi, or ‘style hunters’, develop their own way of living, as seen in Fred, Betsy and Polly, animated by Faiaz Valiullin, Sofia Barysevich and Anastasia Aush. Waltzing to American jazz, tinkling the ivories, sporting vibrant stripes, they shine with their western ideals against the murky backdrop of Soviet reality: it seems that music is not just music after all, but a means of influence.
Mels’ growing affection for Polly lures him into the Stilyagi world, where he begins to embrace the rebellious spirit of their subculture. As his loyalties shift, so too does the pressure from the state, placing increasing strain on relationships and individual freedom.
Although not executed with the same prowess as their Fringe debut 1984 two years ago, withintheatre Company return with this political musical, Boogie on the Bones, based on true events and performed in the Summerhall Anatomy Lecture Theatre. The fresh new writing, despite momentary clunkiness, is adeptly directed by Sofia Barysevich, providing an unsettling exploration of how self-expression can become an act of resistance.
The production’s greatest strength is the unnerving contemporary resonance – as the story unfolds, the barrier between 1950s Moscow and the present begins to fade with the suppression of autonomy no longer feeling like a distant historical concern. This is cleverly instilled in the final moments when a saxophone solo underscores the projection of modern images of police violence and protests, and the struggle to find one’s voice when authority demands silence.
Contemporary Resonant
Boogie on the Bones runs Venue 26, Anatomy Lecture Theatre at Summerhall at 17:45
Running time – Sixty minutes
Review by Eve Nugent (contact@corrblimey.uk)
An undergraduate French student at the University of Edinburgh, Eve has a diverse interest in theatre and performance. Her primary devotion is acting, predominantly at Bedlam Theatre with her fellow students, but also with French group ‘Les Escogriffes’ who perform annually at the French Institute of Scotland.
Her creative attention stretches also to classical music, as she enjoys playing the flute, piano and guitar. She thus looks forward to watching whatever the Fringe has to offer, irrespective of genre!
