Burnt By The Sun Tickets

The National’s Lyttelton Theatre will provide the stage for Burnt By The Sun in 2009 when the Peter Flannery written play brings Russia’s Stalinist rule to a West End venue. The play is based on the Russian movie of the same name by Nikita Mikhalkov that explores the early times of Stalin’s Great Terror. This powerful and moving play looks at a time when evil ruled over Russia and how a small group of people’s lives are affected in this period. The play will be directed by Howard Davies and starts in March 2009.

Burnt By The Sun is set in 1936, not long before Stalin’s Purges took place. Colonel Kotov is a hero of the Russian Revolution, highly decorated as such and holds Communist ideals. During the summer, he spends his time in the countryside with his wife and family. But then one morning, his wifes’s ex-fiancé Mitya walks in after being gone for some time since his sudden disappearance. At first his arrival is met with joy and he is introduced to the rest of the family, but soon it seems that his friendly persona could be masking his true intentions. Amongst all this, with jealousy and remorse, Kotov starts to feel the grasp of Stalinist rule.

The play stars Ciaran Hinds who appeared in Closer at the National Theatre and also onscreen in the television series Rome (playing Caesar), the movies Road To Perdition, There Will Be Blood (as Fletcher), In Bruges and the upcoming Race To Witch Mountain.

Also starring is Rory Kinnear, whose previous stage credits include the recent The Revenger’s Tragedy at the National Theatre. He also appeared in Philistines (National Theatre), Southwark Fair (National Theatre), Hamlet (Old Vic) and most notably The Man Of Mode. The latter landed him an Olivier Award as well as an Ian Charleson Award. On television is appeared on television as Denis Thatcher in the TV movie Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk To Finchley and Alan Simpson in the TV movie The Curse Of Steptoe. He also appeared in the recent James Bond movie Quantum Of Solace.

They will star alongside Stephanie Jacob and Pamela Merrick in the Howard Davies directed production based on the Russian movie by Nikita Mikhalkov and Rustam Ibragimbekov.

Burnt By The Sun is at the NT Lyttelton from Tuesday 3rd March 2009 (previews from Tuesday 24th February 2009) to Tuesday 21st April 2009.