Entertainment

The Lehman Trilogy returns to the West Finish for a restricted run

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5m ago

Jun 20, 2024 / 8513 Views

Evan Walker

The place and when?

The Lehman Trilogy will return to London’s West Finish, enjoying on the Gillian Lynne Theatre from 24 September 2024 till 5 January 2025 for a strictly restricted run.

Who’s within the solid?

John Heffernan, Aaron Krohn and Howard W. Overshown will reprise their ‘virtuosic performances’ (The Mercury Information) in London, following a critically acclaimed run in San Francisco, enjoying the Lehman brothers, their sons and grandsons on this thrilling ‘tour de power of appearing expertise’ (KQED Radio).

Cat Beveridge and Anyssa Neumann will reprise their respective performances as principal pianist and alternate pianist. Additional casting to be introduced.

Inventive workforce

Sam Mendes is joined by set designer, Es Devlin; costume designer, Katrina Lindsay; video designer, Luke Halls; lighting designer Jon Clark; composer and sound designer, Nick Powell; co-sound designer, Dominic Bilkey; music director, Candida Caldicot; motion director, Polly Bennett and West Finish Director, Rory McGregor. Firm voice work is by Charmian Hoare with casting by Naomi Downham. They’re joined by affiliate lighting designer, Charlotte Burton and affiliate video designer Zakk Hein.

What’s the present about?

The Lehman Trilogy is a extremely acclaimed three-act play written by Stefano Massini. It had been translated into 24 languages, initially opening at Comédie de Saint-Étienne in French in 2015 adopted by an Italian translation at Piccolo Teatro, Milan in 2015. The English language translation was tailored by Ben Energy and opened on the Nationwide Theatre in 2018 below the exemplary course of Sam Mendes. Initially 5 hours lengthy, Ben Energy’s English translation is available in at simply three hours and was a robust hit with audiences and critics alike. The play quickly transferred to the Park Avenue Armory, New York Metropolis in 2019 and was as a result of open on Broadway in 2020. Delayed by the pandemic, The Lehman Trilogy lastly landed on Broadway in 2021, profitable a number of Drama League Awards, Outer Critics Circle and Tony Awards for 2022 earlier than shifting to Los Angeles for a restricted engagement. Having conquered the US, the celebrated Nationwide Theatre manufacturing is again in London this 12 months opening on the Gillian Lynne Theatre for a restricted season.

On a chilly September morning in 1844, a younger man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside dreaming of a brand new life within the new world. He’s joined by his two brothers, and an American epic begins. 163 years later, the agency they set up – Lehman Brothers – spectacularly collapses into chapter 11, triggering the most important monetary disaster in historical past. Weaving collectively practically two centuries of household historical past, The Lehman Trilogy charts the standard beginnings, outrageous successes, and devastating failure of the monetary establishment that will in the end carry the worldwide financial system to its knees.

On this return manufacturing, Sam Mendes directs Michael Balogun, Hadley Fraser and Nigel Lindsay because the Lehman brothers Emanuel, Mayer and Henry as they navigate this mammoth play. Enjoying their subsequent sons, grandsons and wives all through the Lehman brothers 163 12 months historical past, they’re joined by pianist Yshani Perinpanayagam who underscores the motion from an upright piano on the foot of the stage and infrequently turns into a part of the story herself.

The vastness of the Lehman Brothers historical past is humanised via Michael Balogun, Hadley Fraser and Nigel Lindsay’s glorious performances. Switching characters with ease and sometimes narrating their very own tales in third particular person, Ben Energy’s script is encompassing and wonderfully descriptive because the actors transfer round Es Devlin’s trendy New York workplace set utilizing easy filling bins to depict time, place and setting. From their unpresuming beginnings as Nigel Lindsay’s Henry “the pinnacle” Lehman, Michael Balogun’s Emanuel “the arm” Lehman and Hadley Fraser’s Mayer “the potato” Lehman via to final Lehman to personal the corporate Bobbie Lehman’s tragic finish; all three actors show excellent ability in tackling every character with wit, humor and reverence.

This return manufacturing of The Lehman Trilogy is gorgeously theatrical because it accounts historical past in parallel to the Lehman Brothers story. We journey together with Emanuel, Mayer, Henry and their relations via wars, technological breakthroughs and financial disasters because the play in the end chronicles how American capitalism misplaced its means. Does the play have to be so long as it’s? Most likely not, nevertheless with richly drawn characters, sensational performances and gripping drama, The Leman Trilogy deserves the various accolades and awards its acquired and stays a tour de power that’s nonetheless strickling related at present.

★★★★ (2023) Reviewed by Stuart James