In association with Park Theatre, Dead Letter Perfect present the World Premiere of Olivia Olsen’s Stray Dogs. Directed by Robin Herford the cast includes: Olivia Olsen, Ben Porter and Ian Redford.
It’s Russia in 1940. A land in the grip of fear; where words are weaponised and poetry is power. Celebrated poet Anna Akhmatova has lost her first husband to the purges and her son awaits execution in state prison.
Suddenly, Stalin, the tyrant responsible for the murder of everyone close to her, is looking for a favour… Plunged so far into obscurity she is believed to be dead, Anna is offered a renewal of life when the Russian/British philosopher Isaiah Berlin risks the hazards behind the iron curtain to find her.
But in a world where poetry is a force that can control and move masses for good or ill, which side of the curtain will her loyalty lead her? How far will she go to save a life? How far will she go to save herself?
Based on true events, Stray Dogs depicts the story of one of the most extraordinary women of the 20th century, as she must choose between her duty to her son, her country, her art and herself. This urgent and relevant play explores the nature of tyranny and how it affects both the political landscape of the past and the present.
Along with many theatre and television credits, Ian Redford has played regular Keith Appleyard in Coronation Street and Ken Raynor in Eastenders.
We asked him what attracted him to the the script.
“Chiefly because it was written by a friend and I’d never heard of Anna Akhmatova and the challenge of playing Stalin. Who could resist,” he tells us.
How, as an actor does Redford prepare and research for this role?
Redford tells us “I have been reading books about him [Stalin]. It really is a matter of getting the essence of the man not an impersonation.”
He adds “but it’s a very well written piece.”
What are the challenges in playing a character like Stalin?
“The real challenge is to find the humanity in Stalin,” says Redford. “The vulnerability and the person under the image and opinion.”
“Josef Stalin … well the man who singlehandedly dragged Russia into the twentieth century . In 1915 Russia was a massive country rural and under the rule of the tsar by 1953 it was a world power . Of course the cost of that change is monumental,” says Redford.
“He drank a lot … hardly ever slept, … liked Films (he had his own cinema) had a love of poetry and literature, had a rough sense of humour … was highly intelligent and his political acumen was second to none. The price of all this was his health both physical and mental.”
What does Redford think the audience will take away this production?
“Hopefully with a little more knowledge about Anna Akmahtova. A reminder of the period [and] the value of poetry …”
Stray Dogs runs at Park Theatre from 13 Nov – 7 Dec.
