The Gambler’s Review – Exotic dancing and rock music on stage in Dostoyevsky’s stunning opus | stage

DOstoyevsky wrote his 1866 novella, The Gambler, in 30 days to pay off his gambling debts, having bet the publishing rights to his past and future works upon the book’s completion. It is difficult to imagine the frantic effort of such an endeavor. But watching this adaptation from Kyoto-based Chiten Theater Company will give you a sneak peak: It’s a stunning and challenging 90 minutes — especially for those unfamiliar with the plot.

Compiled from fragments of Dostoyevsky’s text — which charts the financial fortunes and rebounding romances of roulette addict Alexei Ivanovich, and the family he tutors — it is delivered in Japanese at an almost astonishing speed, with subtitles vying for attention with a whirling set, eccentric dancing, and a cast of actors hitting billiard balls on a center table before speaking. Rock trio Kokangendai’s onstage beats add to the theatrical attack.

However, if you can resist the exhaustion, there are plenty of inventions to admire. Eitaru Sugiyama’s set of roulette wheels, and the actors seated atop them, are kept spinning not by some hidden mechanism but by the increasingly frenetic thrusts of an exhausted Alexei – an elegant representation of the excitement and toil of gambling addiction. At the top, a circle of LEDs glows sequentially, tracing a roulette ball upon which several destinies are dangled.

Director Motoi Miura abandons naturalism for rhythmic dialogue and highly stylized movements. Mostly, these focus on the characters’ financial fragility, to the effect of constricting their feelings. But there is humor – led by Satoko Abe’s no-nonsense grandmother – and clever nods to Dostoyevsky’s discussions of Russian and European traits, with each character given a distinct action and phrase. “Ha ha ha!” barks Mademoiselle Blanche, the woman who will not marry Alexis’ employer unless his wealthy grandmother dies, her hands moving up and down like scales as she calmly deliberates.

The dynamic cast of seven strong is ably led by Takahide Akimoto, whose ferocious, chatty monologues as Alexei reveal the depths and seriousness of his obsession with roulette and his employer’s daughter, Polina.

This production is not for those who enjoy watching a story unfold through its characters’ relationships. The actors retell rather than act out much of the plot, and even lines intended for each other are delivered to the audience. But if you’re looking to indulge in the paranoid struggle of addiction, prepare your chips.