Fortune's Fool
Old Vic Theatre
4/5 based on 2 reviews (read reviews)- Booking until: Saturday, 22 February 2014
- Running time: 2 Hours 20 Minutes
Fortune's Fool description
Fortune’s Fool tickets – The West End debut of a Turgenev classic
It took a hundred and fifty years for this splendid 1848 play, Turgenev’s Fortune’s Fool, to hit the Broadway stage. And when it finally did in 2002, adapted by the multi-talented Mike Poulton, it generated rave reviews.
The production opened on April 2nd 2002 at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway, where it ran for 127 performances. Directed by Arthur Penn, the cast included Enid Graham, Frank Langella, Benedick Bates and his father the legendary Alan Bates. Bates the elder was already familiar with the story, having starred in a production of the show at the Chichester Festival Theatre and Bath Theatre Royal back in ’96. And both he and Langella won Tony awards for their efforts.
This latest production of Fortune’s Fool marks the play’s West End debut, and it’s guaranteed to cause a stir with a stellar cast and experienced creative team at the helm. So what’s the story?
The setting is a huge Russian country estate, complete with aristocrats and their numerous servants. Everyday life at the estate is about to change dramatically. When his master dies the down-at-heel jester Vassily Semyonitch Kuzovkin, whose property has been tied up in a lawsuit for years, stays on as a permanent guest. But what will happen when the estate’s heiress turns up with her new husband? Will she demand he moves out?
Their rich neighbour, Flegont Alexandrovitch Tropatchov, dislikes Kuzovkin and is horrified by his poverty, as if it might be catching. So he goads the poor man into boozing to excess at lunch, which eventually leads him to drunkenly reveal a worrying secret that will disrupt the lives of everyone concerned, forcing them to deal with the consequences.
The play won multiple awards for its 2002 Broadway production: it was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play. Alan bates won a Tony for Best Actor in Play, and Frank Langella won a Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Play. The piece also won two coveted Drama Desk Awards. All of which bodes well for this production.
Mike Poulton's superb adaptation is directed by Lucy Bailey and takes the stage at the The Old Vic in Waterloo. The creative team includes design by William Dudley, lighting by Bruno Poet, music by John Eacott, sound by Mic Pool and casting by Sarah Bird.
If you’d like to treat yourself to Fortune’s Fool cheap tickets, we have the full range of seating types, from low cost to premium, and we’re known and loved for excellent availability.
