Gorky's Classic

Playwright power-siblings Nina Raine (Consent; Tribes) and Moses Raine (Donkey Heart) revive Russian and Soviet writer Maxim Gorky's 1904 play Summerfolk for the National Theatre! A musing on class and the privilege of the bourgeoisie, the Raine siblings refresh the work with a brand new version for 2026, with details of casting to be announced. Brought to the stage by the National's Deputy Artistic Director Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky's Edge), don't miss out on tickets. 

What Is The Story?

In the warm summer of 1905, the elite of Russian society are holidaying in the countryside, drinking, frolicking in the water and having affairs. They've forgotten about the world beyond their gardens; why should they think about that when life is as good as this? But Varvara senses something darker in the distance, and as the good times stretch on she wonders: how long can they keep pretending not to see the coming storm?