The Dream of a Ridiculous Man

Last Updated on January 27, 2026

Adaptation of Dostoevsky at The Marylebone Theatre

The Marylebone Theatre, open since Autumn 2022, hosts multiple Olivier award-winning Laurence Boswell’s new adaptation of Dostoevsky’s short story about a man who is judged by his peers for his far-fetched visions of a utopian society.

Adapting Dostoevsky is a challenge at the best of times. Adapting Dostoevsky into a one-person show is an even bigger challenge, but one that seems near-compulsory given the epidemic of one-person shows in London this year. Greg Hicks is, expectedly, compelling in the only role, and the writing is, at times, slick and velvety. But, for all its merits, does The Dream of a Ridiculous Man really need to be a play – and a one-person play, at that?

Boswell transposes the story from 19th-century Russia to 21st-century London. It starts with Hicks’ character falling into a depression on the streets of Hackney as he realises the inherent meaninglessness of life. On the verge of suicide, he falls into a deep sleep. He dreams of a utopia in which the people know no evil and live in complete peace and happiness. Eventually, the perfect world takes a turn for the worse.

For the majority of the play, Hicks wanders around an empty stage. He flits between characters in front of a black curtain onto which images are projected and behind which objects create shadows. While this effect creates a poignant moment near the end of the play (spoiler alert: in a satisfying reference to Plato’s cave, the curtain falls to reveal the shadow-forming objects behind), it means that, for most of the play, there is little of interest beyond Hicks himself. This can work, but it leaves Hicks with a lot to do. While his performance is excellent, one is left thinking that the play would lose nothing by being an audiobook or a radio play. What makes Hicks such a compelling presence is his soothing and versatile voice, not – and this is primarily a consequence of the direction – how he moves around the stage.

The script is well-updated for our current political and geographical context. However, condensing Dostoevsky’s writing into a play of this nature means that we get all the ideas – existentialism, the corrupting nature of morality, the noble savage – but none of the depth. The dream of the ridiculous man comes across as the well-meaning but superficial utopia of a stoner, and his transformation from depressed nihilist to moral spiritualist is less heart-warming and hopeful than it is unbelievable.

Perhaps – and here’s the crux – this is the exact point of the story. Dostoevsky’s character is derided by his peers for being a fantasist, and this review criticises the play for being exactly that. The message is a good one: he preaches peace and love against corruption and lies. However, and especially given the current state of the world, Dostoevsky’s ridiculous man wandering alone around an empty stage seems exactly that: ridiculous. I hope the short story is more convincing.

The Dream of a Ridiculous Man runs at the Marylebone Theatre from Thursday 21st March – Saturday 20th April 2024. Tickets here.

Marylebone Theatre,
35 Park Road,
London
NW1 6XT