Anna Karenina at Oulu theatre

I am privileged to be a part of Oulu Theatre's Audience Committee (Oulun teatterin Näyttämöraati). Our group of diverse individuals go to the theatre and share our views of the performances. Here are my thoughts on Anna Karenina.
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The stage direction of Oulu theatre’s Anna Karenina, directed by Anne Rautiainen, flowed in a way that kept the audience engaged with the tumultuous love story in a visceral way. The movement between the actors and the shifting of the scenes were choreographed so that the weight of pain as well as intensity of the friction and amour channeled us to a different era. The costumes were a vessel that gave us a glimpse of Imperial Russia and allowed us to touch on societal norms and expectations put upon women, men, and marriage, for example. 

The set design was also beautiful and strategic with their usage of symbolism. Strong motifs such as the train could be seen as a form of travel, but also a marker of time and class and on an emotional level – escapism. The bed was a visual catalyst used not only as a place of passion, but also as an island to drown oneself in depression and sorrow were used in a magnificent way.

While there was a lot to process, I thought that the performance was slightly too long. The last half hour was repeating itself without bringing new light or angles to the story or character development. I would have wanted this version of Anna Karenina to use Tolstoy’s original story to challenge current norms in society. The romance scenes on stage seemed a bit banal as that is what generally what happens on film and tv, but why was it done in the theatre? With great classics such as this one, I think Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina can be an inspiration for us to rethink how to creatively portray and critically engage with important topics such as mental health, classicism, capitalism and relationships.

I went with a friend and this is what they thought of the play:

Pidin näytelmän visuaalisesta ilmeestä eli lavastuksesta ja puvustuksesta. Näytelmän rakenne oli mietitty taidokkaasti, tanssi toi esitykseen kiinnostavaa rytmillisyyttä ja modernia tuulahdusta muuten niin perinteiseen tarinaan. Nämä kannattelivat väliaikaan asti. Sen jälkeen esitys alkoi pahasti junnaamaan paikallaan ja toistamaan itseään.

Translation: ​I liked the visual style of the play—the set design and costumes. The structure of the play was skillfully crafted; the dance brought an interesting rhythm and a modern touch to an otherwise traditional story. These elements held my interest until intermission. After that, the performance began to drag on and repeat itself.

What do you think?

I suggest you catch Anna Karenina at Oulu theatre while you can!

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I’m a member of the Oulu Theatre’s Audience Committee and received tickets to the performance. We aren’t critics; rather, we share the perspectives of ordinary theatregoers on social media at a time when the number of theatre reviews is on the decline.

Kuulun Oulun teatterin Näyttämöraatiin ja sain liput näytökseen. Emme ole kriitikkoja, vaan tuomme maallikkojen näkemystä teatterista someen ajassa, jossa teatteriarvioiden määrä on laskusuunnassa.

​#Näyttämöraati #OulunTeatteri #PuhettaTaiteesta​