Summerfolk tickets

Escape into the Russian countryside in Maxim Gorky’s unsettling play, Summerfolk, about pleasure and privilege. The show is being revived at the National Theatre. Book Summerfolk tickets on London Theatre.

Maxim Gorky’s decadent drama follows the lives of a wealthy circle of holidaygoers in the expansive countryside where picnics, love affairs, and intellectual posturing fill their days. Beneath the relaxation, however, lies a deeper unease. Varvara, trapped in an unhappy marriage, becomes increasingly aware of the emptiness of the world around her, while those in her orbit continue to chatter and drift through a social dynamic that grows increasingly unstable with every passing moment. What remains is a clear image of a class that is clinging to its comfort despite history shifting beneath it.

Summerfolk in London is directed by Deputy Artistic Director Robert Hastie and presented in a new fashion by siblings Nina Raine and Moses Raine. Sophie Rundle expertly leads the company as Varvara, alongside Paul Ready, Alex Lawther, Justine Mitchell, Daniel Lapaine, Doon Mackichan, Adelle Leonce, Arthur Hughes, Gwyneth Keyworth, Sid Sagar, and a large ensemble. This show also features songs by Nicola T. Chang, with set and costume design by Peter McKintosh, lighting by Paul Pyant, and sound by Alexandra Faye Braithwaite.

This 2026 revival gives Gorky’s play a breath of fresh air, drawing out the humour and warning in his original text. What begins as a story of leisure and entitlement narrows into something significantly more honest, exposing the truths of complacency and selfishness of the people who once believed their privilege could keep them safe.

Summerfolk is a play that is seldom seen on British stages, in part due to its absolute scale, and critics have noted both the luxury of the ensemble as well as the production’s balance of satire. This show offers a rich theatrical experience, allowing audiences to experience an idyllic summer experience on the edge of destruction.