Diary of a Madman

See it if Even as the protagonist descends into madness, there is something relatable and uplifting about him. Why did I leave smiling? Superb acting.

Don't see it if You don’t like solo plays. You want more narrative than a single character’s loss of sanity. You don’t want to be moved in an unlikely way.

See it if you would like to see a convincing portrayal of a petty functionary's descent into total madness.

Don't see it if you're craving light fare. Gogol was a farceur, but this adaptation, with its convincing portrayal of a descent into madness, is very heavy.

Also Halfway through this piece I found myself wondering if the stage were the right medium for this Gogol story. The farcical elements of the original become pretty muted when a theater audience has to confront directly, unrelentingly, a convincing, sweating, snorting portrayal of a man rapidly descending into total madness. The only humor here was pretty black. I wondered if this one-man show, muting the original social context & trapping us in the central character’s increasingly warped mind, were not reducing the story to a solipsistic exercise. But not at all. By the end of the piece, I found the actor's portrayal of a man becoming gradually but, in the end, absolutely unhinged from reality pretty compelling. A cry for humanity, issued in the flesh, is something only theater can do, & is so much more vital than farce. (And it dates better as well.)... Read more Read less

See it if love a rarely done show. So much better than then book

Don't see it if you need a musical or fluffy comedy

See it if You have an interest in 19th century Russian drama. You want to see an excellent performer. You like intense dramas.

Don't see it if You want a contemporary story. You want a story with a traditional narrative thread: it is a madman's diary, so it's confusing & unfocused.

See it if The acting is very good, Russian Play Drama. The story/play is confusing and all over the place in thought. Its about a man going crazy.

Don't see it if He plays the part excellent that seeing someone going thru crazy/mad may be hard to watch.

See it if You want to see a great performance and watch a character go completely mad before your very eyes on stage

Don't see it if You usually don’t like plays that only feature one actor

Also I feel like everyone else saying that the performance was great but it really was. I don’t know why I keep trying to like one person shows. I think I have now seen 20 of them and I only have like one. While the actual performance was great that was about the only thing I enjoyed from this production... Read more Read less

See it if You are interested in stories about mentally ill characters and enjoy piecing the story together.

Don't see it if You prefer sequential and logical stories and do not like over-acted dementia.

See it if You'd like a taste of Russian playwriting and/or Gogol, or want to see an actor give everything he's got in 80 minutes. He really delivers.

Don't see it if Madness expressed in a small claustrophobic atmosphere is not easy for you to take, or if the non-uplifting Russian style is not your thing.

Also I can't imagine this piece being performed better. Even if you're mildly curious, this is a wise bet. There was much to discuss on the way home, and I felt an emotional tightness in my chest for at least an hour. This piece, and mostly performance, were really gripping.... Read more Read less

See it if you like long Russian drama, intricate character development, reflecting futility of ordinary man's quest for his recognition as special

Don't see it if you cannot sit through an intense emotional and physical 80 minutes of solo male monologue of decline into insanity without intermission

Also Includes exquisite effective interjection of various renditions of Una furtiva lagrima (a furtive tear) aria from G. Donizetti's l'elisir d'amore.... Read more Read less

See it if You like solo shows and are interested in Russian stories. This one seemed to drag a bit, despite a heroic effort by the actor.

Don't see it if You aren't interested in a solo show about a man going mad for the love of a woman he's hardly spoken to.

See it if you are a fan of the dark, existential school of Russian class warfare lit; would like to watch a man go quite crazy on stage

Don't see it if you have great sensitivity or PTSD around mental illness, delusions & insane asylums; expect a satisfying resolution

See it if You want to see an incredible actor - Ilia Volok perform a role that is believable. He transforms himself on stage.

Don't see it if You don't like solo shows, don't like any of Gogol's work. Want an upbeat, funny show...this is not it.

Also I gave it a higher score because of the actor. Gogol's work is too heavy and depressive for me. The show is not easy to sit through at times seeming monotonous, at other times the insanity comes through and you feel lost. But this is in part because of the talent of the actor. I would love to see him again in something NOT Gogol.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see someone slip into madness and watch their descent into the world of the crazy. Also does Ferdinand 8 really exists?

Don't see it if You don’t like one man shows. Although his acting very superb

See it if You're looking for a masterful performance of a classic play

Don't see it if you don't enjoy solo shows or are disturbed by depictions of mental illness

See it if The acting in this one man show was outstanding. A journey of one man into madness.

Don't see it if If you want to see something light, or are not a fan of one man shows.

See it if timely!Poprishchin,as performed by Ilia Volok, is a victim of a dehumanizing society,and a Soul-Crushing job. We feel his isolation and pain

Don't see it if you are sensitive to this topic.

Also Ilia Volok is an extraordinary performer.We experience his character's inner turmoil, his delusions, and his hopelessness.Life conspired against him, and we witness his descent into insanity.... Read more Read less

See it if you would like an intense one man show chronicling the main character spiraling into madness in a very creative performance.

Don't see it if you would not like to see an intense character study of a deranged man. The script often does not sense, but it's not supposed to...

Also So, a good piece of the script is confusing and doesn't make sense? Are you seeing Diary of a Madman, or Diary of A Whimsically Amusing Gentleman?
Ilia Volok brings a high energy, frantic performance to Poprishchin whose mediocrity breeds jealously, bitterness and ultimately insanity. The night I went was not well attended, only about 12 in the audience, yet Volok did not falter in the least. A brutally exhausting monologue that took its toll, making me wonder how good would he have been with some energy feedback from the audience? The set is minimal, the atmosphere excellent and the performance magnificent. The script is disjointed and confusing at times, but guess what? It is supposed to be. The portrayal is madness which wouldn't fit into "sane" ideals. So talking (and letter writing) dogs are valid.
Seating is general admission, so you have choice of location. Running time is about 70 minutes which pass quickly.
Recommended for Ilia Volok's performance.... Read more Read less

See it if You are a Gogol fan and like his heavy handed critiques of class and modern society with its disrespect for individuals. Quite over the top.

Don't see it if There is a limit to your tolerance for unrelenting intensity, overacting, and perhaps overwriting. I have been sufficiently Gogol-ized!

See it if Tour-de-force performance that captivates and spellbounds, with equal parts sadness, whimsy, and madness. Uncomfortably hot theatre.

Don't see it if you do not like solo plays, with a complex character

See it if You enjoy a one person intense, riveting performance.

Don't see it if You prefer ensemble, light shows

See it if you like dramatic one-man shows with a great actor.

Don't see it if you don't want to witness a man falling deeper into madness.

Also Excellent acting but I never felt emotionally involved with the character. Many very interesting moments.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy really good acting and aren’t annoyed with a non linear plot.

Don't see it if You want a real story to follow rather than the rants of a madman

See it if Master class in acting. Full commitment to the role, humor, discovery, risk-taking, physicality, excellent use of vocal power and energy.

Don't see it if If watching Gogol’s madman sustain a manic performance that is highly emotional and never softly-spoken for 90 minutes would wear you out.

Also I agree with the critic for th L.A. Times who noted the lead actor begins in such a highly emotional state you never see his actual ‘descent’ into madness. He’s already there. Maybe that’s a Russian thing because I just saw the Russian National Theatre HD performance of UNCLE VANYA where everyone yelled at everyone else for many hours. I wanted more or any relationship to the audience. At the very end the actor addresses the audience with one question and it was for me the most powerful moment of the show. You WILL see a performance of the most skillful focus and imagination. What the actor brings to the role is amazing.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to experience the workings of a deranged mind, with moments of clarity emerging from the morass of madness

Don't see it if You need linear storytelling and are uncomfortable in the presence of irrational behavior.

See it if you want to see great acting.

Don't see it if you're looking for something light or you're not a fan of one man shows.