Burnt by the Sun

Genre: Drama
Opened 3 March 2009
Written: by Peter Flannery, from the screenplay by Nikita Mikhalkov and Rustam Ibragimbekov
Directed: Howard Davies
Cast: Rory Kinnear (Mitia), Ciaran Hinds (Kotov)
Synopsis: Colonel Kotov, decorated hero of the Russian Revolution, is spending an idyllic summer in the country with his beloved young wife and family. But on one glorious sunny morning in 1936, his wife's former lover returns from a long and unexplained absence. Amidst a tangle of sexual jealousy, retribution and remorseless political backstabbing, Kotov feels the full, horrifying reach of Stalin's rule.

What the popular press had to say.....
MICHAEL BILLINGTON for THE GUARDIAN says, "Even if Peter Flannery's adaptation of Nikita Mikhalkov's Oscar-winning 1994 movie can't quite match the original and one misses crucial scenes, I'd still recommend the show for two reasons: the political power of the narrative and the ensemble grace of Howard Davies's fine production." BENEDICT NIGHTINGALE for THE TIMES says, "The acting is consistently fine." BEN DOWELL for THE STAGE says, "Writer Peter Flannery brings a luminously tragic poignancy to his stage retelling..." NICHOLAS DE JONGH for THE EVENING STANDARD says, "Skilfully adapted...brings Russian history into riveting close-up." MICHAEL COVENEY for THE INDEPENDENT says, "A really fine new play by Peter Flannery." CHARLES SPENCER for THE DAILY TELEGRAPH says, "This one's a cracker...starts out like something by Chekhov and ends up as a gripping Stalinist thriller...Funny, affecting and taut with suspense, Burnt by the Sun is a new play that already feels like a classic."

External links to full reviews from popular press
The Guardian
The Independent
The Times
Daily Telegraph

Production photos by Catherine Ashmore