MARK TURNER is staggered by a gifted jazz pianist from the Welsh Valleys
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Rom-communism
MARY CONWAY is gripped by a hilarious and erudite new play that dramatises the making of the alliance that defeated fascism
JESSICA WIDNER explores how the twin themes of violence and love run through the novels of South Korean Nobel prize-winner Han Kang
SARAH TROTT explores short fictional slices of life in the American midwest from a middle-aged and mostly female perspective
New releases from Black Country, New Road, Anouar Brahem, and Jaywalkers
RICHARD CLARKE recommends a hugely valuable text for those seeking theoretical analysis and practical action to defend public services
JOHN HAWKINS is moved by an oral history that examines five black families pushed into homelessness in the US
BOB NEWLAND recommends an outstanding study of how images have shaped narratives of identity, resistance and power in South Africa
Churchill in Moscow
Orange Tree Theatre, London
CHURCHILL IN MOSCOW, which premieres at the Orange Tree Richmond, is already a highlight of the theatrical year and a must-see.
For a start it’s by Howard Brenton – he whose powerful political voice has kept us on our toes for 60 years. Secondly, though historical, it illuminates for us the current world. Next, it takes the fruits of serious research and transforms them into deeply character-driven, joyful theatre, directed by the inimitable Tom Littler. And lastly, Roger Allam and Peter Forbes are sensational as the leads.
Winston Churchill spent three days with Joseph Stalin in Moscow in August 1942. It was the height of World War II when the world leaders saw, in a blinding flash, that they must combine forces or Hitler would win.
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