A Dostoevsky protagonist transitions from text to theatre

French stage artiste Jean-Paul Sermadiras presents a minimalist solo theatre adaptation of Dostoevsky's "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man."

If trying to transmit to stage the rush of existentialist thoughts ambushing the mind of a character created by one of the great novelists of the 19th century is not a challenge in itself, to do so with minimalist theatre, can be a next to impossible prospect.

Yet, French stage artiste Jean-Paul Sermadiras seemed to pull it off with a practised efficiency, as he presented a theatrical solo based on Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky’s story, “The Dream of a Ridiculous Man” at the Alliance Francaise.

The actor portrayed the protagonist of Dostoyevsky’s short story of 1877, using the bare minimum of props — a long bench and a candle lantern — and sparse, but mood-synced pieces of background score. The presentation in French has English subtitles projected on a background screen.

And, through the hour-long show, it felt like the performer had gripped those in the audience by their hand and led them to travel with the thoughts of the story’s protagonist who has just resolved to kill himself in a fit of nihilist angst.

Things only get progressively bleak thereon before we are allowed to breathe in hope and optimism.

The “ridiculous man” struggles to figure out the purpose of that chance meeting with a girl he had met on the street, whose cry for help he had ignored and hurried home that night.

As the protagonist slips into a vivid dream, where he has already killed himself, he is pulled out from inside the grave by a creature and flown across space and time, and discovers a paradise lit up by happy and innocent people, “their knowledge deeper and loftier than science”.