Aug 21, 2019 a very expensive poison is one of those productions that must have got funders very excited. The definitive story of the murder of litvinenko and russias war with the west on. A very expensive poison plays at the old vic from 20 aug. A very expensive poison tickets, old vic official london. Review lucy prebbles a very expensive poison at the old. Lucy prebbles a very expensive poison wins the blackburn prize. A very expensive poison is at the old vic from 20th august to 5th october 2019.
A very expensive poison tickets london from the box office. A true story of murder and conspiracy that points directly to vladimir putin, by the guardians former moscow bureau chief. The definitive story of the murder of litvinenko and russias war with the west luke harding a very expensive poison. A very expensive poison is one of those productions that must have got funders very excited. Sep 04, 2019 a very expensive poison is not about peoples addiction to theatre.
In a bizarre mix of highstakes global politics and radioactive villainy, a man pays with his life. In 2016, luke hardings book a very expensive poison on which this play is based delved into this shocking case to explore whether this could have been ordered by russias very highest in command. A very expensive poison a brilliantly bold drama about the. Book direct from the box office the best choice of seats and no delivery fees. Charting a shadowy course through a world on the cusp of a new cold war, this intriguing new play runs from 19 august 2019. Jan 26, 2017 a very expensive poison npr coverage of a very expensive poison. A very expensive poison stages journalist luke hardings investigative account of litvinenkos life and death. Jul 29, 2019 a very expensive poison plays at the old vic from 20 aug. Starting with his wife marina hauling him into the hospital after two days. Aug 15, 2019 a very expensive poison is the reimagining of the notorious death of alexander litvinenko. John crowleys directing deftly highlights the absurdity of the litvinenko poisoning with an avantgarde flourish, while prebbles quick and witty dialogue handles the fallout after the murder with great care. A very expensive poison theatre communications group. Based on luke hardings book of the same name, a very expensive poison is a complex investigation built from a decade of interviews and reports. Its a big, bold, creative production, which takes a bit of getting used to.
Jul 23, 2019 based on guardian journalist luke hardings book of the same name, a very expensive poison brings a world of whistleblowing, defection, espionage, revenge and politics to the offwest end stage. Based on luke hardings remarkable investigation into the infamous case, tickets for this world premiere production of a very expensive poison will see litvinenkos shocking assassination in london placed under the microscope of the. Prebble won the annual prize for female playwrights, for her work about a russian assassination on british soil. Luke harding has followed the criminality of the putin regime from russia to the west and his story leaves us with terrible feeling of dread about what putin will do next. John crowley brooklyn, the goldfinch directs lucy pebbles the effect, enron reimagining of luke hardings a very expensive poison. But i must never ever say that, says playwright lucy prebble in a programme note about her new, expansive and intriguing play a very expensive poison, based on guardian journalist luke hardings 2018 book about the russian statesanctioned 2006 murder of former russian spy alexander litvinenko, by then a british citizen living in london. A very expensive poison is the reimagining of the notorious death of alexander litvinenko. A worthy subject matter, a defence of liberal values and selfexpression, topical political commentary. A jawdropping expose of espionage comes to the stage in a very expensive poison, lucy prebbles reimagining of the notorious death of alexander litvinenko. We have a limited allocation of tickets available for supporters of the old vic from patron level. Lucy prebbles play pushes theatre and our notions of truth to their limits at londons old vic. The book is an incredibly drawn, multiangled reconstruction of the infamous crime itself, the poisoning of a political dissident, alexander litvinenko. A very expensive poison is a play steeped in political melodrama.
Buy tickets for a very expensive poison in london from just. The definitive story of the murder of litvinenko and russias war with the west kindle edition by harding, luke. It follows the trail of a lethal dose of polonium210 to reveal a web of international subterfuge spanning russian mobsters and dissidents, the kgb, british police and the ministry of defence. Reece shearsmith delights in a very expensive poison.
A very expensive poison was nominated for the susan smith blackburn prize by the old vic london where it was a fivestar hit in the fall of 2019 and won best new production of a play at the broadway world awards. All that chat lucy prebble wins 2020 susan smith blackburn. The definitive story of the murder of litvinenko and russias war with the west kindle edition by luke harding. Lately, she has been writing mostly for television notably the hbo family drama. Old vic, london the twisted tale of the russian dissidents death by radioactive. A very expensive poison a brilliantly bold drama about the murder of alexander litvinenko. Lucy prebble enron, the effect brings a shocking story to the stage, adapted from the book by luke harding, with an astute mix of real events, vaudeville and thriller. A very expensive poison tickets play tickets london theatre. She has form with the disruption of theatrical mores as her previous play enron showed, but a very expensive poison also reveals the utter mastery of plot and character that she has shown in her tv work on series such as succession. Lucy prebbles new play, a very expensive poison, dramatizes the assassination of alexander litvinenko. The play is based on the 2016 book by luke harding, which examines the assassination of russian former kgb whistleblower alexander litvinenko. The idea for a very expensive poison came to her by surprise in 2017, ms. Sep 04, 2019 the idea for a very expensive poison came to her by surprise in 2017, ms. A very expensive poison, inspired by the book of the same name by luke harding has become a very expensive production, with a set based on a lightbox structure which contracts, expands, and changes scene and focus.
Based on the book by luke harding this world premier contains highstakes global politics and radioactive villainy. A very expensive poison, old vic a west end whinger. Prebble has bitten off more than she can chew, but shes done it with her eyes open, and has. A very expensive poison reads like a john le carre spy novel, but shockingly its all true. The twisted tale of the russian dissidents death by radioactive poisoning employs songs, puppets and even putin as an unreliable narrator. A very expensive poison lucy prebble interview a man was.
Mar 02, 2020 lucy prebbles a very expensive poison wins the blackburn prize. Sep 07, 2019 a very expensive poison stages journalist luke hardings investigative account of litvinenkos life and death. It recently garnered the inaugural michael billington award for best new play at the critics circle theatre awards. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. On november 1, 2006, journalist and russian dissident alexander litvinenko was poisoned in london. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading a very expensive poison. John crowley brooklyn, the goldfinch directs lucy prebbles. A very expensive poison is a balancing act that sometimes feels on the verge of collapse.
A very expensive poison will have its press night on the 5th of september. A very expensive poison is not about peoples addiction to theatre. A murdered spys widow relives her loss onstage the new. Lucy prebble tries to answer these questions in her longawaited fourth play a very expensive poison, which grapples fearlessly with the. It has also become a very long show, currently running at around three hours, which not only milks every single cliche around the. The definitive story of the murder of litvinenko and russias war with the west main by harding, luke isbn. Inventive but flawed exploration of the litvinenko murder. An excerpt titled the hidden history of trumps first trip to moscow. Institutionalised corruption, political deception and a mysterious murder unspool on the old vic stage in a very expensive poison playwright lucy prebble unpacks the nittygritty of modern espionage with panache, in a show that revolves around the true story of alexander litvinenkos assassination in a mayfair hotel in 2006.
John crowley brooklyn, the goldfinch directs lucy prebbles the effect, en. The 2020 laurence olivier awards were originally scheduled to be held on 5 april 2020 at the royal albert hall and hosted by jason manford due to the coronavirus pandemic, the awards ceremony was cancelled on 17 march, with the awards being issued in an alternate manner. Lucy prebbles a very expensive poison wins the blackburn. A very expensive poison a brilliantly bold drama about.
In a bizarre mix of highstakes global politics and. A very expensive poison is a thrilling and eyeopening account of an historically unprecedented murder that, remarkably, british justice has officially linked to the current russian president. Based on luke hardings remarkable investigation into the infamous case, the play sends you careering through the murky world of international espionage everpresent, everywhere from moscow to mayfair. Sep 06, 2019 a very expensive poison a brilliantly bold drama about the murder of alexander litvinenko. A jawdropping expose of espionage comes to the stage in a very expensive poison, lucy prebbles reimagining of the notorious death of. International espionage and a shocking assassination. The assassination of alexander litvinenko and putins war with the west by luke harding. Secret meetings, dirty money, and how russia helped donald trump win. Aug 20, 2019 the world premiere of lucy prebbles a very expensive poison comes to the old vic.
At this time of unnerving global crises and rumblings of a new cold war, a very expensive poison sends us careering through the shadowy world of. John crowley brooklyn, the goldfinch directs lucy prebble s the effect, enron reimagining of luke harding s jawdropping expose of the events behind the. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In a very expensive poison lucy prebble has serious arguments to outlay about the relationship between international governments and narrative misdirection, but the broadly comic approach to presentation feels at odds with the meaning of the play. Were sorry, it looks like we no longer have tickets for.
Luke harding has followed the criminality of the putin regime from russia to the west and his story leaves us with terrible feelings of dread about what putin will do next. Buy a very expensive poison tickets from the official site. At this time of global crises and a looming new cold war, a very expensive poison sends us careering through the shadowy world of international espionage from moscow to mayfair. A very expensive poison is rather more fun than we were expecting given the serious events at the heart of its story. This is the story of alexander litvinenko, the russian agent who exposed links between organised crime and the.