Katharine James
posted 1 June 2007

As Charles Dickens is to London, Maxim Gorky is to Russia. Both chronicled the vicissitudes of lower class life and were committed protesters against social injustice. But where Dickens’ characters often find some kind of redemption, Gorky’s, at least in The Lower Depths, have no such luck.

An ensemble piece set in a doss house, The Lower Depths introduces a motley assortment of society’s archetypal dregs and outcasts. All have either been born into poverty or fallen from grace / Fortune’s wheel: amongst others, a whore, a thief, a Jew, a drunk, and a nobleman. They have all had dreams but none of them have made it to the Promised Land. Nor are they likely to. The general atmosphere is a mixture of despair and resigned cynicism. Providing the philosophical counterpoint is an old traveler. He is an optimist with faith in humanity’s inherent goodness. His worldview inspires admiration and disgust in equal measure and prompts the debates between characters which constitute the meat of the play.

Having lived rough for years, Gorky knew his characters’ torments first-hand and was fundamentally opposed to the Tsarist regime responsible for their repression. His politically outspoken theatre was a radical departure from previously romanticised presentations of the Russian underclass and it is clear why it caused such a stir. It is also easy to understand why it continues to enjoy frequent revivals in Russia. 100 years away from its context and geographically displaced, The Lower Depths is remains thought-provoking and socio-historically fascinating, but proves not to be a great play. The tone is didactic and lacks subtlety. The plot seems to have been tacked on as an afterthought and is resurrected clumsily every so often, to jolt the play towards its conclusion. The ending, when it comes, is parachuted in from nowhere. It lands like a flabby lead balloon and serves only to leave the audience baffled.

The Finborough’s Lower Depths is a new version by director Phil Willmott and comprises several versions of the text in addition to material from one of Gorky’s short stories. Although the problems outlined above remain, this production is enjoyable from start to finish. The dingy claustrophobia of the Finborough is a great setting and the cast look and sound the part, suitably grimed up and between them sporting a full set of UK regional accents. The acting is, by and large, very strong. Particularly moving are Dean Kelly’s understated, mild mannered Satinin and Richard Sandells’ gloriously camp Pavel. Olivia Macdonald is not wholly convincing as Olga but this is partly down to her character being used largely as a plot driver. Though their situation is as bleak as a Thomas Hardy winter, a healthy seam of humour is mined by the cast to keep the audience engaged. While this is extremely effective on many levels, the balance between the comedy and the play’s darkness is uneven. The threat of violence, which should linger in the background, is not plausible, and the doss house ultimately feels like an OK sort of a place to live. This is a problem if the play is really to hit home.

That said, The Lower Depths is still well worth a look. And if you enjoy it, there’s another Gorky play, Philistines, on at the National. I have already booked.

Till 9 June 2007