Dmitry – Marylebone Theatre

The son of the Tsar Ivan IV and heir to the throne has been long dead. A young man emerges in a Polish court claiming to be him, the much-revered Dmitry. Who is this man? What is his genealogy? Could he possibly be Dmitry? What does the Tsarina make of this? How much does his newlywed wife know about who he really is? What will be the fate of the current child heir to the throne be, if this man really was Dmitry? Based on the historical and religious stir this mystery caused in 16th century Russia, Peter Oswal’s Dmitry explores the personal and political conflicts around the identity of this man. Oswald boldly took on the task of completing the play after Friedrich Schiller passed away midway through writing the original manuscript. Artistic Director of Marylebone Theatre, Alexander Gifford, collaborated with him to put a spin of mystery drama on the production.

This play is the premiere production in the recently refurbished Marylebone Theatre that houses a lovely, intimate stage. The lights slowly fade as music, quite unexpected for the setting of the play or theatre, begins to play, starting off the show on a theatrical note that is sustained through most scenes. The theatrics, however, can soon get overbearing, although they fit within the period the play is set in. Having said that, some heightened moments of physical drama do provide relief from the otherwise very verbal show.

Amidst the tense and heavy themes through the two-and-a-half-hour production, there are moments of comic relief woven into the writing, but they are easy to miss. This is a show that requires one to pay close attention to the dialogue, to pick up the nuances of the writing as well as to grapple with the political ongoings. Without knowing the historical context, the some parts of the show may be lost – but the well-created programme available at the foyer provides a comprehensive overview of both, the history behind the story and of the creation of the production.

Going for a Tim Supple show, one would expect to be dazzled by dynamic direction and stellar acting and this is where the show disappoints. The performance is energetic and lively throughout, with Tom Byrne leading the cast as Dmitry; but the actors are sometimes inaudible or unintelligible. The blocking of scenes feels stagnant and archaic, and considering the length of the show, a more imaginative approach to the direction and set design would have uplifted the production. The costumes (supervisor: Josie Thomas) do add in life to the characters and capture the attention and imagination of the audience. The show can also definitely do with brevity; the writing is wonderful for most part, but the scenes seem to drag on for a bit too long. The story is interesting and with more pace, it could be made more captivating.

For anyone who enjoys a political/ historical thriller, Dmitry makes for an informative evening out.

Dmitry plays until 5th November 2022 and tickets can be found at https://www.marylebonetheatre.com/productions/dmitry

Reviewer: Aditi Dalal

Reviewed: 4th October 2022

North West End UK Rating: ★★★