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Amour fou infused with Slavic gloom
MICHAEL STEWART surveys a tale of thwarted love infused with Polish folk and heavy doses of anti-communist sentiment
HEROIC PEASANT WORKERS: The cast of Cold War [Marc Brenner]

Cold War
Almeida Theatre, London

CONOR MACPHERSON’s Cold War, based on Pawel Pawlikowski’s film, the winner of a best director prize at Cannes, is a musical adaptation of this bittersweet on-off love story which showcases Polish folk music and several new Elvis Costello songs. 

Pawlikowski partly based it on the experiences of his parents. 

Luke Thallon plays Wiktor, a musical director and struggling composer who is scouring Stalinist Poland for folk songs. He meets the passionate and talented singer Zula (Anya Chalotra) and sparks fly. He is smitten and they both fall deliriously in love. 

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