Russian Theatre in London 2012
General
There are occasional productions in Russian in London. One organisation to stage such things is LTP. QMUL tend to put on a (very) student production each year–there’s a poster for the 2011 one here. Otherwise–as far as I know–it tends to be down to discrete initiatives that are hard to predict.
As for Russian plays in English, the most consistent stager of these that I know of is Victor Sobchak’s Theatre Collection.
The London Theatre in New Cross are developing some form here, both in Russian and English. They have now kindly emailed to say that this is part of their artistic policy and they will be putting on further Russian works, again both in Russian and English.
I’m not aware of any other theatre or company that consistently puts on Russian plays.
I draw some very elementary conclusions from the information on this page here.
Do email me if there’s anything you think should be added to this page! 2013 can now be found here.
Specific performances
In what follows, in view of the complexity of what ‘Russian play’ might mean to people, I’ve given each entry a three letter code. The first letter can be P (it was originally a play) or A (an adaptation). The second can be R (it was originally in Russian) or X (it wasn’t). The third can be R (it’s being given in Russian) or X (it isn’t). No doubt our readers will be hoping for PRR.
January
Collaborators (PXX) is on at the National (but said to be sold out) for a very long run. Theatre Collection are doing Chekhov’s Farces (?PRX) from 11 to 29 January and Invitation to a Beheading (ARX) from 9 to 29 January; some details on this page; and my views here.
January/February
The Gate Theatre give another airing to The Kreutzer Sonata (ARX) from 6 January to 18 February. First time round it got three stars from me.
February
The London Theatre in New Cross are doing The Bear and The Proposal (PRX) from 2 February to 5 February. And if you’re male 30/50 good understanding of classical text you can go for an audition!
Будут Вечера на хуторе близ Диканьки (ИРР) в театре Shaftesbury 19-ого февраля.
February/March
A Russian Play (PXX) will be premiering at the Lion and Unicorn (or Giant Olive) from 14 February to 4 March.
Baron’s Court Theatre will be adapting Anna Karenina (ARX) from 21 February to 3 March. Theatre Collection will be adapting Crime and Punishment (ARX) from 22 February to 16 March, at least according to their pink leaflet.
I think that Purge (?AXX) on at the Arcola from 22 February to 24 March is about the Soviet occupation of Estonia together with deportations to Siberia. Now you can see my views!
The Bridewell will be hosting Three Sisters (PRX) from 28 February to 3 March.
March
The London Theatre in New Cross are doing Anna Karenina (ARR) from 6 March to 18 March. Yes it’s in Russian. They say: Lat time all seat were sold out a week before opening. Don’t leave it to late for this one! Tickets £22.50 Box Office 0208 694 1888.
Arts Depot have Stalin’s Favourite (AXX) on 28 March. It looks jolly interesting and is apparently due to reappear in other places later in the year.
March/April
The Barbican are hosting The Master and Margarita (ARX) from 15 March to 7 April.
There will be Uncle Vanya (PRX) at the Print Room from 21 March to 28 April.
A Warsaw Melody (PRX) scheduled at the Arcola from 28 March to 28 April turns out to be a 1967 play by Leonid Zorin (well I didn’t know that!) My review here.
April
The Globe Theatre’s Globe to Globe season will be hosting a Russian-language Measure for Measure (PXR) on 24/25 April.
The Overcoat at The Pleasance in Islington from 17 April to 28 April looks to have little to do with Gogol’, but that’s not necessarily to condemn it…
May
The Cherry Orchard (PRX) will be visiting the Rose Theatre, Kingston from 15 May to 19 May.
May/June
The Brockley Jack have Anton Chekhov’s Vaudevilles (PRX; The Bear, The Evils of Tobacco and The Proposal as adapted by Michael Frayn) from 29 May to 16 June.
RADA are doing Stars in the Morning Sky (PRX) from 29 May to 9 June; see here for my views.
June
Theatre Collection present The Lower Depths (PRX) from 6 June to 24 June.
The Young Vic are hosting Minsk 2011, A Reply To Kathy Acker (PRR), by Belarus Free Theatre from 12 to 23 June. In Russian with English surtitles. Looks bloody good to me! (In the event, I was disappointed.)
July/August
Theatre Collection have Russian Lady Macbeth (ARX; aka Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, or of the Mtsensk District) from 30 July to 5 August.
August
The Network Theatre have The Cherry Orchard (PRX) from 5 to 8 August.
The Shaw Theatre have announced The Government Inspector (PRX) for 15 to 19 August.
August/September
Theatre Collection are doing Three Sisters (PRX; that’s a Facebook listing) from 29 August to 16 September.
September
The London Theatre in New Cross have kindly written to remind me that they will be doing The Overcoat (ARX) from 12 to 16 September.
September/October
The Young Vic are doing Three Sisters (in a new version by Benedict Andrews; PRX) from 8 September to 13 October.
October onwards
The Vaudeville Theatre have Uncle Vanya (adapted by Christopher Hampton; PRX) from 24 October to 16 February.
November
The Vakhtangov will be bringing their Uncle Vanya (PRR) to the Noel Coward Theatre from 5 November to 10 November.
Our friends from LTP are now offering a season of Дождь любви (PRR), Свадьба Кречинского (PRR), The Wizard of Oz (AXR–’for children between 5 and 12′) and The Snow Queen (AXR–’a musical for children between 5 and 12′) from 8 to 11 November.
November/December
The Southwark Playhouse have The Seagull (PRX; adapted by Anya Reiss) from 8 November to 1 December.
The Trafalgar Studios will be showing The Promise (PRX; by Aleksei Arbuzov, translated by Ariadne Nicolaeff, in a new English version by Penelope Skinner) from 15 November to 8 December.
The New Diorama have One Hour Eighteen Minutes (PRX; by Elena Gremina) from 13 November to 1 December; my views here.
Theatre Collection will be doing The Wood Demon (PRX) from 27 November to 15 December.
December
The New Diorama then have Ladybird (PRX; by Vasily Sigarev) from 4 December to 22 December.
December 2012/January 2013
The Master and Margarita (ARX) is scheduled to reappear at the Barbican from 14 December to 19 January.
See here for 2013.
