The production continues to play at the theatre until the 12th October.
Broadway World: *** “it is pleasing to have this off-Broadway hit in London, which definitely needs more of its ambition and continual refusal to talk down to its audience, and at a theatre large enough for its scale and movement to come through – jeez, the ensemble cast work hard.”
The Guardian: *** “The play is, in a sense, undone by its own cleverness and determination to speak about everything at once – Chekhov, autobiography, Russia and the US’s confines around creativity. But Molochnikov raises important questions around the cost of conscientious objection that go beyond Putin’s war, and apply, ever disturbingly, closer to home.”
All That Dazzles: *** “There was much going on all the time to the extent that sometimes it was difficult to focus on the point that writer Eli Rarey was trying to make, but by and large, the show did not overstay its welcome and was well received on press night by an exceptionally enthusiastic audience. It may not be anything we haven’t seen before, but what it does, it does extremely well.”
WhatsOnStage: *** “Seagull: True Story boldly contains many elements for a sharply acidic commentary on the true nature of artistic freedom. It just needs a little more focus to really take flight.”
The Spy in the Stalls: ***** “Like Chekhov, Molochnikov’s ‘Seagull: True Story’ offers a lot to chew on if you’re up to the challenge. This heartbreaking, mesmerising, unflinching reimagining will haunt you like ‘The Seagull’ haunts Kon.”
British Theatre Guide: “Seagull: True Story is an absurdist mess, but then the world’s a mess. Director Alexander Molochnikov, whose ‘true’ story this is, had to leave a successful Moscow Art Theatre career behind when Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022.”
The Reviews Hub: *** 1/2 “Rarey places this all inside a bigger story narrated by an MC who also plays the theatre manager in Russia and producer in New York (Andrev Burkovskiv), while director Molochnikov creates a cabaret jauntiness that is consistently engaging. Seagull: True Story has a point to make about the luxury of theatre in times of war and the platform for resistance it provides, but as Kon moves to a new country, that point gets a little lost in the commercial dazzle of America.”
Unmissable Theatre: *** “Ultimately, Seagull: True Story is ambitious, thought-provoking theatre that dares to experiment. While it occasionally lacks cohesion, it remains a compelling exploration of artistic defiance under oppressive regimes, brought to life by an inventive creative team.”
London Theatre1: *** “A committed cast does their best with what they are given, both physically and figuratively, working up a sweat. But the show, as it stands, is like unwieldy hair badly in need of a trim.”
The Upcoming: **** “Seagull: True Story is, by all measures, a brilliant production. Molochnikov manages to create a beautifully artistic and heavily referential piece while still keeping it perfectly accessible and entertaining to a mainstream audience.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.marylebonetheatre.com/