Written and Directed by Benjamin Freckelton
Adapted from Leo Tolstoy
Review by Dominic Corr
Whispered conversations bleed across the sticky tables of the Bedlam bar before a single word of script is spoken, pulling patrons straight into an immersive theatrical experiment. Immediately; we’re onto a bit of a winner. Benjamin Freckelton’s inventive adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s short story, After The Ball, tackles heavy themes of class, systemic violence, and our collective propensity to shy away from uncomfortable truths. This bold spatial journey is one of the production’s most thrilling technical triumphs; the action begins intimately in-the-round within the bar space before executing a migration through the building to claim the Bedlam’s main stage.
Transplanting Tolstoy’s narrative into 1940s England proves to be a shrewd dramaturgical choice, deliberately heightening the visual extremes of the class divide. This shifting architectural canvas is beautifully matched by striking design choices, notably Madeleine Lawrence’s meticulous period costuming and precise choreography that peaks in a visceral, joltingly violent finale. Yet, this stylistic ambition occasionally stumbles against the weight of Freckelton’s dialogue. While the production excels at visual metaphor—trusting its physical vocabulary to convey the deafening chasm of inequality—the script periodically succumbs to heavy-handed exposition, over-explaining emotional truths that the staging and actors have already communicated with elegant economy. It is a curious friction where the visual poetry outshines the verbal delivery, leaving certain thematic beats feeling slightly over-processed.
Balancing these dramaturgical hurdles are committed, deeply engaging turns from a versatile ensemble. Felix Nielsen commands the space with an engrossing, sharp-edged intensity as Jack, anchoring the moral friction of the piece, while Merla Atwood brings an infectious, sparkling charm to early character delivery. They are ably supported by Charlotte Byron-Ghosh, Mimi Chibah, Oliver Mason, and Lottie Walsh, who flesh out the societal strata with physical conviction. Freckelton cheerfully admitted before opening night that Tolstoy would likely have loathed this radical reinterpretation, and while that lack of classical reverence occasionally dilutes the source material’s deeper resonance, the sheer theatrical craftsmanship on display keeps the audience hooked.
As the final, haunting echoes of violence settle over the proscenium stage and the 1940s glamour peels back to reveal systemic rot, After The Ball leaves behind a fascinating, uneven imprint. It is an ambitious venture that stumbles in its scriptwriting restraint yet soars through sheer spatial imagination. Stepping out into the Edinburgh chill, one is left with the lingering, uncomfortable question of how often we choose to look away from the suffering staged right in front of us.
Ambitious and Imaginative
EUTC’s After The Ball was performed at Bedlam Theatre
Running time: Sixty minutes without interval
Review by Dominic Corr (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Editor of Corr Blimey, and a freelance critic for Scottish publications, Dominic has been writing freelance for several established and respected outlets such as BBC Radio Scotland, The List, The Scotsman, Edinburgh Festival Magazine, The Reviews Hub, In Their Own League, The Wee Review and Edinburgh Guide. As of 2023, he is a member of the Critic’s Award for Theatre Scotland (CATS) and a member of the UK Film Critics.
