The Just

Diego Matamoros and Raquel Duffy in The Just. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

Based on the true story of the assassination of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich in 1905, Albert Camus's The Just explores the moral intersection of religion, socialism, and terrorism. Now playing as part of Soulpepper's current season, this intense new translation by Bobby Theodore is strikingly relevant in our own time as the words and actions of fanatics—from ISIL to narrow minded Trump supporters—seem to drown out more moderate voices in our society.

The play opens with a reunion of revolutionaries as they plot the killing of the Grand Duke in the hope of freeing the Russian people from oppression. This "brotherhood" is made up of a mix of personalities all with different approaches to their cause: there's Boris (Diego Matamoros) the group's leader; Stepan (Brendan Wall), a jaded extremist who has just been released from prison; Yanek (Gregory Prest), an idealistic dreamer; Voinov (Peter Fernandes), a passionate but reluctant militant; and Dora the bombmaker (Raquel Duffy). Camus takes us into the hearts and minds of the would-be assassins at all stages of the operation. We are with them as they plan the attack and debate its justification. We are there when they execute it, and finally we witness the aftermath.

The production is staged in an alley configuration, so the audience has a prime view of the thrilling action as it unfolds. Ken MacKenzie's sparse yet multifaceted set brings the story to life, transforming with impressive ease between acts. Recent Soulpepper Academy directing graduate Frank Cox-O'Connell gets strong performances from the cast, while the narrative moves at a steady pace throughout. Overall, The Just is executed with skill. However, the text itself, bursting with heightened political language, often distances us from the characters' humanity. The cold reality of their situation is apparent, yet difficult to contemplate. Perhaps some of their emotion is lost in translation?

Of all of the rebels, Prest's Yanek and Fernandes' Voinov are the easiest to relate to. Their all-too-human fears and doubts resonate powerfully. But when we hear from the grieving Duchess (Katherine Gauthier) in the second half, it becomes hard to sympathize with the agents who orchestrated the death of her husband. Of course, that's the point of the play. We are left wondering, are these people murderers or are they revolutionaries? It's a fair question with no simple answer.

The Just runs until March 26, 2016 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Visit soulpepper.ca for more information and to buy tickets.