Review: CHURCHILL IN MOSCOW, Orange Tree Theatre

In 1942 Moscow a top-secret meeting occured between Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin as the Nazis rampaged through Europe and into the Soviet Union. This world premiere of Howard Brenton’s play imagines the attempts at diplomacy, political and social clashes and eye-watering amounts of drinking that may have occured as the two men thrashed out a deal to try to save the world.

Three-time Olivier Award winner Roger Allam is a coup for the Orange Tree and is a wonderful Winston Churchill, astutely eschewing any form of direct mimicry of the man. Allam is unfraid of long silences, opting for gravitas and sudden bursts of energy. There is no caricature, just character.

Peter Forbes is a suitably menacing Joseph Stalin, showing bursts of rage and frustration over what he sees as truculent British reluctance to help the Soviets. Forbes shows the volatility of the man and also a more thoughtful side as Stalin realises that Churchill will not roll over and do as he asks.

Arguably as crucial to the proceedings are interpreters Sally Powell and Olga Dovzhenko, aware they yield huge power with their version of the words spoken between the two men. Jo Herbert is an upright and loyal Sally; Elisabeth Snegir a true patriot of the Soviet cause.

Some of the most interesting moments come as the women converse alone, finding some common cause in their love for each other's language and the delicacy of their roles.

As the accompanying diplomat, Alan Cox makes an endearing English Ambassador Archie. His support and frustrations over Churchill and the general situation are made very credible. His sickness at trying to match the Russian drinking culture with a statuesque Julius D’Silva, who plays Commisar Molotov, is also quite hilarious.

Tamara Greatrex is very assured in her stage debut as Stalin's sweetly bossy daughter Svetlana, who brings a sense of real life intruding into the diplomacy as she reads extracts from David Copperfield. However, her appearances feel as if they belong to another play and jar a little with the rest of the production. 

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.

The use of language is clever, with Stalin given a broad West Country burr due to his birthplace in Georgia, then part of South West Russia. The Russians flip between accented English when speaking in English to normal English when talking in their own language. There are also some very amusing moments when the audience hears how Stalin and Churchill sound to each other. In director Tom Littler's intelligent and capable hands, this potentially tricky dialogue is never confusing nor unintelligible.

The nature of the diminutive Orange Tree is that every action and character can be scrutinised close up. Special mention must go to Chris Smyth's hair and wig supervision, as the wigs of both Stalin and Churchill look flawless.

Although a basic knowledge of the historical context is needed, Churchill In Moscow is an assured, amusing and astute piece of writing. With impeccable acting and deft direction, it deserves every success.

Tickets are currently sold out. OT Friday Rush - each Friday at midday, a limited number of tickets will be released for the performances in the following week, subject to availability on a first-come first-served basis. Following its run at the OT, Churchill in Moscow will be available to stream through OT On Screen from Tuesday 11 – Friday 14 March.

Churchill in Moscow is at the Orange Tree Theatre until 8 March

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