Love in Action Review

November 1, 2024

Love in Action Review

31st October – 2nd November 2024

Love in Action is Japanese reimagining of Russian novelist Dostoevsky’s The Brother’s Karamazov, by Japanese company NODA MAP. Written and directed by Hideki Noda, the play is set in a courtroom in Nagasaki, Japan at the end of the Second World War. We follow Karamatsu Tomitaro and his two brothers, as Tomitaro is accused of murdering their father. The entire show is in Japanese with English subtitles and boasts a 2 hours and 15 minutes running time with no interval. It’s fair to say I was more than a little apprehensive when making my way to Sadler’s Wells on Thursday Evening.

“It’s technically superb with the entire cast working together to create a dynamic and engaging atmosphere”

And yet, any expectations I had were completely tossed aside as soon as the show began. Visually, this play is a masterpiece. It’s technically superb with the entire cast working together to create a dynamic and engaging atmosphere. Every transition was seamless and the plethora of props and moving set parts was handled with ease. A particular highlight had to be their interpretation of quantum physics, as eldest brother, Iwan, played by Eita Nagayama, looked to solve equations on stage. Stylistically, this was magnificent.

However, I do think that tonally it didn’t quite hit the mark. As a courtroom drama set in August 1945, I certainly wasn’t expecting such slapstick comedy for the majority of the play. This was enjoyable and felt like a refreshing take on a drama as the show refused to take itself too seriously, but maybe not right for the play’s allegorical intentions that became clear by the end. Still, in the midst of it, this lighthearted approach was quite welcome: from costume changes being made hastily mid-scene, to an extensive use of sticky tape like I’ve never seen before, we were having fun.

Then, about two thirds through, the tone started to shift to be more serious, and this drop of comedy felt odd. As an English speaker, it was quite hard work keeping up with the subtitles and following the (slightly too) frequent flashbacks, so losing the comedic aspect did make the story feel like a bit of a slog to the end.

Whilst I agree that the play had to lean into the weight of the historic events, I felt that this would have been more suited if there had been a sudden shift to a darker tone for the final scene to help it carry more meaning. Instead, the gradual approach made it feel less intentional – almost as if we were watching a completely different play. In spite of this, the final scene was incredibly moving and clearly directed with a careful hand.

In terms of performances, Nobue Iketani’s Madame Russaky was the standout, creating an equally silly and sinister character that you couldn’t help but love. Writer and director, Hideki Noda, also starred on stage as Shiranui Katsuzo, the defence lawyer, who brought much of the joy and laughter for the first half. In contrast, I felt that Grushenka, played by Masami Nagasawa, was one dimensional in her characterisation. As the centre of a love triangle between father and son, it made the gravity of this feud less impactful.

I appreciate that I am coming to this production from a completely different culture and language, which will have made my interpretation different to the native Japanese speakers that populated the theatre. Nonetheless, Love is Action was still vibrant and full of life, just let down by a tonal shift that didn’t quite work.

Love in Action is running at Sadler’s Wells until the 2nd November.