The stars align for Julian Kostov and Sinead Matthews in 'Till the Stars Come Down'

The White Lotus star Julian Kostov joins Sinead Matthews in Beth Steel’s play Till the Stars Come Down, which sees family drama erupt on the day of their wedding.

The stars really did shine for Beth Steel’s latest play when it premiered at the National Theatre last year. The production, directed by Bijan Sheibani, was showered with four and five-star reviews from every major outlet. And despite opening early in 2024, critics were quick to hail it one of the best plays of the year.

Now, Till the Stars Come Down is glowing anew as it transfers into the West End, with Sinead Matthews, Lucy Black, Philip Whitchurch and Alan Williams reprising their roles in the family drama, and Julian Kostov, Dorothy Atkinson, Adrian Bower, Aisling Loftus and Ruby Thompson joining the cast.

Why did it resonate so deeply? Perhaps because the dynamic is horribly imaginable, as the cheer of a wedding day descends into chaos, with too much alcohol consumed and shattering secrets spilled. Or perhaps it’s Steel’s Lorca-esque propensity to tell a wider story that speaks for a community. In this case, it is her hometown of Mansfield, where the closure of the mines has resulted in generations of disenfranchised men, and where the arrival of Eastern European immigrants has stirred resentment. That Sylvia comes from mining stock, while her husband-to-be, Marek, is a Polish newcomer to the community, adds a tension that doesn’t take long to unfold thanks to Sylvia’s outspoken sisters and aunt. While the play unravels into messiness, for the most part it’s a celebration of raucous, unfiltered family life.

Ahead of its hotly anticipated West End transfer, cast members Sinead Matthews (The Crown, Black Mirror) and Julian Kostov (The White Lotus), who play the central couple Sylvia and Marek, speak to London Theatre Magazine about the buzz of playing authentic, larger-than-life characters, and the beauty of Steel’s writing.

What was it about Beth Steel’s new play that made you want to be a part of it?

Sinead Matthews: Beth has written the most beautiful play. It’s very earthy and very grounded, but at the same time there’s such poetry in it. One minute you’re laughing hysterically, the next your heart is breaking for these characters.

Julian Kostov: The writing is super colloquial and very natural. People can relate to so many things happening in it. When I first read the play, I remember laughing my butt off. When I got to the last two pages, I didn’t take a breath, and then the last sentence, I started crying my eyes out.

Matthews: That was the reaction from the audience. There are so many twists and turns: one minute they’re hysterically laughing, the next they’ve been punched in the [gut]. I’ve never been in a show before where the audience is audibly gasping.

What is it about the narrative that resonates so deeply?

Matthews: I think it’s the family dynamic and the relationships that are there. Beth knows this world so well; she’s written a story for the women that she grew up with. There’s something about these people who are larger than life and so in touch with who they are. There are things in the characters that are so relatable for all walks of life. It feels like a global play, even though it’s domestic. It’s also spiritual.

Kostov: It turns out Nottinghamshire is a very transcendent place! There’s a saying that “to effect global change you’ve got to act locally”, and I think when you tell stories, if you start from a local place you can tell something universal. It’s telling that this play has already been bought and produced in other countries, including Japan, Greece and across Scandinavia.

Julian, you’re new to the production, and you’re coming to it after filming The White Lotus Season 3. How are you finding the dynamic of the sisters in Steel’s play compared to Mike White’s trio of toxic women, who your character Aleksei had some dealings with?

Kostov: They’re very different from an economic standpoint. The women in the play are much more real and grounded. Even though there’s love and backstabbing between the women in both, I think there’s more scout’s honour in the play when it comes to being attracted to someone else’s significant other. But like The White Lotus, there are many characters in Beth’s play and all of them are standouts.

Sinead, you portrayed Sylvia in the original production at the National Theatre. How have you found returning to your character after more than a year apart?

Matthews: I’m grateful for the opportunity to revisit this character, who goes on such a journey. She’s the youngest and really has to struggle to find her voice within the family. It does actually feel like the play is going in a lot deeper, and sinking into a different place now. Especially doing it with new people.

What has it been like melding old and new cast members?

Matthews: Working with Julian is just so easy. It’s effortless and we do have a spark as husband and wife.

Kostov: It’s an honour to be coming into something so successful. I’m kind of sad I haven’t seen the play before, but happy to be of service to what worked before.

Matthews: A lot of the hard work structurally has already been done, so you can step into that and bring your brilliance!

Julian, this is your first time on stage in roughly a decade. How does that feel?

Kostov: For the last three or four years, I’ve felt like every next step has been the highest and most important in my career, and this is no different. The White Lotus was the biggest thing I’d done, and I feel like this is a step further because doing a play in the West End is every actor’s dream. I’ve been fantasising about doing a play for years, and I feel like I’ve manifested it.

Am I right in thinking you’re the first Bulgarian actor to perform in the West End?

Kostov: I think so! There are a lot of Eastern Europeans in the UK, but we’re not reflected on screen or on stage as much. We are considered white, but then we have the accent. I have lived in London for 10 years, and I have experienced the discrimination first hand. Being a part of this production is very exciting because it’s given me the opportunity to be part of the conversation about cultural authenticity and diversity. If I’m the first Bulgarian on a West End stage, then it’s an honour.

Book Till the Stars Come Down tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Julian Kostov and Sinead Matthews. (Photo by Helen Murray). Inset: Till the Stars Come Down. (Photos by Manuel Harlan)