Devil You Know Theatre Company has announced the first London production since 2005 of The Rubenstein Kiss will play at the Southwark Playhouse next Spring.
Directed by Joe Harmston, The Rubenstein Kiss is inspired by the true story of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, who were executed in 1953 for allegedly providing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union.
The Rubenstein Kiss is the story of the Rubensteins, a deeply devoted Jewish couple whose Communist idealism leads to their world being torn apart by suspicion and treachery which then echoes through the generations. Phillips’ explosive and affecting drama is the study of conspiracy, betrayal and the interrogation of guilt.
Talking about the news James Phillips said: “I’m incredibly excited to see Joe Harmston’s new production of The Rubenstein Kiss. Our current, dangerous, fraught political moment – where so many are trying again to test the limits of political idealism, where we read daily of Russian agents in this country and in the United States – seems a perfect time to revive the play.”
The play was originally performed at the Hampstead Theatre in 2005 starring Gary Kemp and Samantha Bond, winning the John Whiting Award and the TMA Award for Best New Play.
James Phillips’s first staged play, The Little Fir Tree, was commissioned by and performed, under his direction, at the Sheffield Crucible in 2004. Some of his other work includes Hidden in the Sand (Trafalgar Studios), McQueen (St James Theatre and Theatre Royal Haymarket), City Stories (St James Theatre and 59E59 Theaters, New York) and Flood, which premiered as part of Hull UK City of Culture in 2017.
Director Joe Harmston’s previous credits include The Lover and The Collection at Donmar Warehouse starring Harold Pinter. His other West End credits include, The Birthday Party, A Talent to Amuse and Wait Until Dark. He was nominated by the TMA as Best Director for his 2012 production of Strindberg’s The Father at Belgrade Theatre, Coventry.
The production is set to include set design by Sean Cavanagh, sound design by Matthew Bugg and casting by Kate Plantin. It is produced by Devil You Know Theatre Company.