London — Despite the record heat here, the air is cold at the Almeida Theater.The drop in temperature comes from being calm and nervous. “Patriots”, a new drama That view of Russia’s power politics over the last quarter century has shaken the rise of tyranny.
Rupert Goold’s Grip work will be held until August 20th.
The Patriots, written by Peter Morgan (“The Crown”, “Frost / Nixon”), is the sadness of Boris Berezovsky, a brain billionaire who died in London’s political asylum at the age of 67 in 2013. Investigate the shortened life. Cross-examination of Berezovsky’s mysterious death returned an unusual “open verdict”, but on this occasion it is clearly presented as suicide.
Berezovsky, an academic whimsical oligarch who facilitated the rise of young Vladimir Putin, later dropped out with his former allies who expanded his power base, promising “Liberalization of Russia”, but whatever.
Morgan introduces 9-year-old Berezovsky as a math genius whose mother wanted to be a doctor. (Glittering Tom Hollander plays that role.) From there, Berezovsky is an integral part of the rich Russian elite, with relentless Putin in his office and the deputy mayor of St. Petersburg. Find out.
“Mr. Berezovsky is respected,” says Putin, who was the first to be drawn in like a ferret. “If you don’t know you, you’ll have to live on another planet!” But as Putin was promoted from prime minister to president and strengthened his power around him, Putin changed his tone and tone. Is not so long. In one of the most effective wordless scenes, Putin tries to pose in front of his mirror to see which one makes him look most impressive. His previous hesitation gave way to a man who loved his own heroism.
Berezovsky saw a dramatic change in his stunning personality and urged former KGB operatives to “know your location.” But at this point Putin is not simply abandoned. Moreover, Putin’s reason is why keep enemies close when they are just as easily destroyed.
Director Gould traded with another headline maker in Old Vic at the “47th” this spring. This is an imagination of Donald J. Trump for the next presidential election. This time, Goold has become a better companion. “Patriots” is a richer, less fantasy-play, with today’s harsh resonance. Morgan naturally leaves the connection to the audience, but can draw a line between Putin’s coveted glorious empire in theater and his ongoing attack on Ukraine.
In one of this year’s performances, Russian leader Will Keane was astonished throughout and brought his character to an exciting and unpredictable life. His early fawn in front of Berezovsky gives way to the refusal of ice to find its full expression when his former mentor wrote as a fellow patriot demanding permission to return to Russia. Putin dictates the reply and tells his secretary to tear the letter. Berezovsky and Putin conclude that “it’s not worth it.”
Hollander is as impressive as he did on the dazzling star turn of the 2018 Tony Award-nominated “Travesties.” His character is a quick feminine and too naive to understand the potential of a young Putin with authoritarian injustice.
Further expanding the scope of the play is Roman Abramovich (excellent Luke Talon) of the oligarch, a friend of the Russian president who fights Berezovsky over ownership of the oil company Sibneft. The case, which was tried in London in 2012, is here described as an overwhelming defeat that only amplifies the mental distress of Berezovsky. Putin critic Alexander Litvinenko (Jamael Westman, former leader of “Hamilton”), who was poisoned in 2006, also appears as the “most prestigious” (or maintained by Morgan) dissident. .. The glory that the sad Berezovsky did not know.
You feel that writing “patriots” while Putin is marching has an aspect of courage. (However, like the “47th” Trump, these men’s ego could thrive in the spotlight.) For the first few days after Russia launched its attack on Ukraine. Orchestras, concert halls and opera houses pulled Russian works From their stage, and it seemed that it might no longer be allowed to carry out the Russian repertoire in the west. Travel abroad by Bolshoi Ballet, and other famous Russian art companies, was canceled..
Therefore, it is safe to welcome the Russian classic “Kamome”, first published in 1896 by Anton Chekhov, who died nearly half a century before Putin was born. The fact that the first of Chekhov’s four great plays ends in suicide as well as “patriots” is an interesting coincidence that points to the undercurrent of pain that informs both plays.
Jamie Lloyd’s fascinating piece, played barefoot and in a modern dress At the Harold Pinter Theater until September 10thPromotes his simplified approach to classical music for the recent “Cyrano de Bergerac”, which has been acclaimed in New York and London.
This “seagull” is seen here in the 2012 edition of Anja Lais and never features the title’s injured bird on stage, just as the play omitted a fake nose for its title character. The cast members, led by Game of Thrones graduate Emilia Clarke, made a great waist-end debut without any kind of props, sitting in a green plastic chair and boxed with chipboard. I will show you the play. They speak with quiet strength, as if we were eavesdropping on the character’s innermost thoughts. Some people resent the approach, but I was riveted from the first quiet utterance to the end.
Like a “patriot,” this “seagull” is drawn from its own sorrow, even though the world of Chekhov’s theatrical writers and actresses is far from Morgan’s power brokers and politicians. Lloyd’s ensemble quietly conveys the changing affection of devastating theatre, engrossing the possibilities of theatrical despair.
Patriot. A work by Rupert Goold. Almeida Theater, until August 20th.
Seagull.. A work directed by Jamie Lloyd. Harold Pinter Theater, until September 10th. November 3rd at the cinema.
