Leonid Zorin’s moving love story A Warsaw Melody has been revived in the UK, for the first time since 1979. This is the first show from Belka Productions, who aim to stage bold productions of Russian texts that have rarely been presented to English audiences.
This well acted, doomed love story is set in both Russia and Poland. The sparse set and small cast of two brings a greater focus to the writing, which is enchanting during its best moments.
At its core, A Warsaw Melody is a simplistic Romeo and Juliet story of lovers, torn apart by uncontrollable external forces. In this case, a new law forbidding marriage between Soviet citizens and foreigners. Polish aspiring singer, Helya (Emily Tucker) and Russian student Victor (Olivier King) are blissfully in love when this decree is passed in 1947, resulting in the breakdown of their relationship. The pair go their separate ways and meet each other at different moments in their later lives.
Act one opens with Helya and Victor’s first encounter at a Chopin concert; they are both in their early twenties and fall in love quickly. This act is spent developing their characters and relationship whilst they are young. Tucker and King play these opening scenes wonderfully; they are deliciously carefree, playful and affectionately display their feelings for one another. By devoting an act to the foundation of their relationship, the announcement of the 1947 law affects the audience as much as it affects the young couple.
The second act focuses on Victor and Helya after they have gone their separate ways; they have brief, heartfelt reunions. This act skips decades and countries between scenes, resulting in a lack of atmosphere. Nevertheless, the bond between Helya and Victor illuminates the stage.
Emily Tucker who plays Helya is captivating throughout. As a young Helya, she is strong, ambitious, gregarious and wide-eyed. Helya in her forties is tired, jaded and somewhat bitter. The moments when Tucker sings in Polish are amongst the best moments of the production, her voice brims with such a wealth of emotion, that the meaning of words becomes redundant. To accompany Tucker’s beautiful voice, a singular musical instrument would not have gone amiss and could have heightened the performance.
Olivier King’s Victor is stereotypically Russian: direct, quiet and solid; contrasting Helya wonderfully. King takes command of playing an introverted character extremely well. Although, there are a couple of clunky moments where Victor breaks down that appear out of his character and melodramatic.
A feasible decision was made allowing Victor to speak with a British accent. Feasible as it lets the audience view Helya as the foreigner, just as the original Russian audiences would have. However, the Russian radio announcements should be in English for synchronicity.
The story focuses on the lovers rather than Russian life or life under Stalin, which allows the story to stand the test of time and to transgress national boundaries. However, the story is not innovative or casts a new light of love. A Warsaw Melody is highly recommended for anyone interested in Russian theatre or who is fond of a gripping love story.
