We round up the reviews for the world premiere production of Howard Brenton’s play.
The Guardian: **** “Brenton’s talents for spikily poetic dialogue and laugh-aloud gags remain remarkably intact. But, whereas The Churchill Play was the work of an ideologically driven “political dramatist”, Churchill in Moscow comes – like his Harold Macmillan drama Never So Good (2008) and partition play Drawing the Line (2013) – from a dramatist of politics.”
The Standard: *** “I love the ideas, the political playfulness and the questing humanity of Brenton’s plays but these things often come at the expense of believable characters. I also like the long-term loyalty here: Littler commissioned several Brenton plays at Jermyn Street Theatre, before taking over the Orange Tree. And quite a lot of famous people clearly love both of them.”
The Telegraph: **** “Howard Brenton’s drama about the wartime prime minister’s 1942 meetings with Stalin offers a fascinating portrait of two political titans.”
WhatsOnStage: *** “Howard Brenton’s new play, in a neat production by Orange Tree artistic director Tom Littler (the sixth time that they’ve worked together), offers a fly-on-the-wall account of this meeting that’s a little dry in places (at least to someone who isn’t an expert in military history); some of the jokes seem to be a trifle ‘inside’, and the extended drinking sequence is on the indulgent side. What’s most intriguing is the way in which almost every character is half of a double act and has something to learn from their opposite number, for better or worse.”
The Reviews Hub: ***** “Brenton does not allow us to forget that, along with the Americans, these two guys would go on to carve up Europe and lay the foundations for 45 years of cold war. A sobering epilogue by Svetlana sums up what happened after the joke diplomacy and brings us back to reality, but it is the riotous satire that has gone before that will linger long in the memory.”
Daily Express: **** “Roger Allam masterfully captures the complexity of Churchill’s character, starting off sulky and ill-tempered before the jovial wit comes out when the heavy drinking of vodka shots and chewing of suckling pig is in full swing. Opposite him is Peter Forbes’ Stalin, who is just as convincing in portraying the layers of the tyrant, switching with ease between buoyant cheer and sledgehammer fury at a moment’s notice.”
Theatre Vibe: “Isn’t it incredible how great writing, good direction and amazing performance can enliven a potentially wordy subject? Miss Churchill in Moscow at your peril!”
The Stage: **** “World premiere of Howard Brenton’s sharp satire of political expedience, dramatising a real-life meeting between two of the 20th century’s most significant leaders”
Theatre Cat: “But it’s a political play, full of good lines and insights, and the interpreters (Sally Powell and Elizabeth Snegir, a real Russian) matter almost as much. They cautiously make common cause while the men are noisily dining and drinking, admire one another’s language (“I love Russian.. it’s deep” – “I love English, it’s all over the place”).”
Broadway World: **** “Brenton’s writing is hugely funny, while never straying from the magnitude of the situation. There is a deft exploration of the uneasy alliance the two men must reach, despite coming from such opposing worlds, both politically and socially.”
Theatre Weekly: **** “With its razor-sharp dialogue and layered character portrayals, the production deftly balances historical intrigue with moments of unexpected humour, making it a thought-provoking exploration of power, diplomacy, and human complexity.”
British Theatre Guide: “Churchill in Moscow is an insight into critical diplomacy, written with wit and feeling and presenting a picture of people that seems totally real.”
To find out more visit: https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/churchill-in-moscow